Embedded Software Engineer

Morgan McKinley; Southampton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley is pleased to present multiple openings for Embedded Software Engineers (Junior to Senior) in Hampshire on a full-time, permanent basis within a defence and security technology environment. You will design, develop and test low-level firmware and real-time software for mission-critical hardware.

You will work across full lifecycle software delivery, from bare-metal to RTOS or Embedded Linux, collaborating with hardware, FPGA and systems teams, and you may lead architecture

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Embedded Systems, Electronic Engineering or related discipline.
• Strong hands-on experience in C and/or C++ for embedded systems.
• Experience with Bare-Metal, RTOS, or Embedded Linux kernel/driver development.
• Familiarity with microcontrollers, ARM architectures, and interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, PCIe).
• Lab experience using JTAG debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and hardware debugging suites.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy high-performance embedded software in C and C++ for real-time environments.
• Implement board support packages, device drivers, and low-level communications for custom hardware.
• Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, and systems teams during bring-up, integration, and debugging.
• Develop bare-metal firmware or software running on RTOS or Embedded Linux.
• Create unit tests, automated test scripts, and documentation to meet safety and quality standards.
• Senior levels: lead software architecture, drive code quality, review code, mentor juniors.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Embedded software development

Real-time systems

ARM architectures

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Embedded Systems

Master's degree or PhD (preferred)

Tools

JTAG debuggers

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Embedded Linux debugging tools

RTOS debugging tools

Job description

Job Title: Embedded Software Engineer (Junior to Senior — Multiple Openings)

Location: Hampshire

Salary: Flexible / Dependent on Experience + Comprehensive Benefits Package

Industry: Defence & Security Technology

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

About the Opportunity

An industry-leading systems innovator within the Defence and Security sector is seeking Embedded Software Engineers at all levels of experience (Junior, Mid-Level, and Senior/Principal). Joining an expanding multi-disciplinary engineering group, you will develop low-level firmware, real-time software, and driver-level software for high-reliability, mission-critical hardware platforms.

Whether you are starting your career with strong foundational C/C++ skills or are an experienced engineer looking to design complex system architectures for secure environments, this role offers direct involvement across full lifecycle software delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy high-performance embedded software in C and C++ for real-time and resource-constrained environments.
• Implement board support packages (BSPs), device drivers, and low-level communications protocols for custom hardware platforms.
• Work closely with hardware, FPGA, and systems teams during platform bring-up, integration, and debugging.
• Develop bare-metal firmware or software running on RTOS (e.g., FreeRTOS, VxWorks) or Embedded Linux.
• Create unit tests, automated test scripts, and technical documentation to meet rigorous safety and quality standards.
• (Senior Levels): Lead software architecture design, drive code quality standards, perform technical reviews, and mentor junior developers.

What We Are Looking For

Core Technical Requirements

• Education: Degree (BSc/MSc/PhD) in Computer Science, Embedded Systems, Electronic Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Core Languages: Strong hands-on experience or academic grounding in C and/or C++.
• Operating Systems: Experience with Bare-Metal development, RTOS, or Embedded Linux kernel/driver development.
• Hardware & Protocols: Familiarity with microcontrollers, ARM architectures, and standard interfaces (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART, CAN bus, Ethernet, PCIe).
• Debugging Tools: Lab experience using JTAG debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and hardware debugging suites.

Experience Level Breakdown

• Junior Embedded Software Engineer: Degree or 1+ years of commercial exposure; solid understanding of C programming, memory management, and hardware fundamentals.
• Mid-Level Embedded Software Engineer: Proven track record of commercial embedded C/C++ development, driver development, and hardware integration.
• Senior / Principal Embedded Software Engineer: Extensive background in system architecture, multi-threaded RTOS/Linux environments, complex software design patterns, and technical leadership.

Security Clearance & Eligibility

Due to the nature of the projects, candidates must hold or be eligible to achieve standard Security Clearance (e.g., UK SC Clearance / National Security Vetting).