Sr. Embedded DSP Engineer

ESS Technology; Kelowna; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

MSP-BC

Extended Health Care

Dental

Vision

Life

AD&D

Life Term benefits

Job summary

ESS Technology in Kelowna designs highly integrated audio ICs and firmware for mixed-signal processors. We are seeking a senior embedded engineer to own real-time audio firmware architecture across Cortex-based devices and embedded Linux platforms.

Applicants should have 7+ years in embedded firmware, strong C, and experience with AI-enabled audio algorithms. The role offers a collaborative culture and a path to technical leadership.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of embedded firmware experience.
• Strong C programming skills for bare‑metal or RTOS‑based embedded systems.
• Experience with real‑time audio, DSP, or low‑latency streaming systems.
• Familiarity with USB protocols and USB Audio Classes
• Experience with fixed‑point and/or floating‑point DSP optimization.
• Strong debugging skills at the hardware/software boundary.
• Experience with Cortex class processors and embedded Linux.
• Experience implementing or integrating AI‑based audio algorithms.
• Familiarity with TensorFlow, ONNX Runtime, vendor AI toolchains, or similar embedded ML deployment flows is a plus.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and set technical direction

Responsibilities

• Own key portions of the real‑time audio firmware architecture, including USB audio streaming and DSP processing.
• Develop production‑quality embedded C implementations and optimize interrupt/DMA behavior.
• Work across heterogeneous embedded audio systems including microcontrollers, application processors, and DSP cores.
• Evaluate and apply AI-based audio algorithms for noise reduction, echo cancellation, wake-word detection, and voice enhancement.
• Collaborate with hardware teams to debug across hardware/software boundaries and optimize performance.

Skills

Embedded firmware

C programming

Real-time audio

USB audio

DSP optimization

Cortex processors

Embedded Linux

AI-based audio algorithms

TensorFlow / ONNX

Mentoring

Education

BSEE

Job description

Business Address / Job Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

Duration: Permanent Position

Degree Requirements: BSEE required, with 7+ years of experience.

Work Experience: 7+ years

Our Location:

Our Kelowna Design Center is located in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, a region known for its wineries, long hot summers and exceptional skiing. We offer the unique opportunity to design and develop highly integrated, mixed signal circuits for audio/video consumer electronics applications in one of the most beautiful locations in North America.

About ESS:

Our company’s deep expertise in audio signal conversion led to some of the world's best audio DACs, ADCs, and CODECs. Combining that engineering edge with a true, hands‑on approach to every facet of IC design, we’ve created an unbeatable collaborative culture and a work‑life balance that is important to all our employees.

Areas of Responsibility

We are seeking a senior embedded engineer to join our firmware and DSP team development with experience with Cortex based products and advanced audio processors.

The successful candidate should be comfortable working across heterogeneous embedded audio systems, including microcontroller firmware, application‑class processors, and dedicated DSP cores. Cortex processors, embedded Linux, audio pipelines, and inter‑processor communication is a plus.

This person will own key portions of the real‑time audio firmware architecture, including USB audio streaming, DSP signal processing, interrupt/DMA behavior, and production‑quality embedded C implementations.

Experience with AI or machine‑learning based audio algorithms is highly desirable, including noise reduction, echo cancellation, wake‑word detection, voice enhancement, source separation, beamforming, classification, or other embedded audio inference workloads. Familiarity with deploying optimized models on embedded NPUs, DSPs, or constrained processors is a plus.

Employment Requirements

• 7+ years of embedded firmware experience.
• Strong C programming skills for bare‑metal or RTOS‑based embedded systems.
• Experience with real‑time audio, DSP, or low‑latency streaming systems.
• Familiarity with USB protocols and USB Audio Classes
• Experience with fixed‑point and/or floating‑point DSP optimization.
• Strong debugging skills at the hardware/software boundary.
• Experience with Cortex class processors and embedded Linux.
• Experience implementing or integrating AI‑based audio algorithms.
• Familiarity with TensorFlow, ONNX Runtime, vendor AI toolchains, or similar embedded ML deployment flows is a plus.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and set technical direction

ESS Technology, Inc. offers MSP-BC, Extended Health Care, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D and Life Term benefits.