Embedded Software - Team Leader

Matchtech; Braintree; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology consultancy is seeking a skilled embedded software developer with leadership experience to join its team on a hybrid basis. The role involves guiding a small team while engaging in hands-on development across diverse projects in sectors such as healthcare and defence. Ideal candidates will have solid embedded software skills and some mentorship exposure. Competitive compensation and career development opportunities are offered.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in embedded software development.
• Technical depth in device drivers, DSP, and communications protocols.
• Experience in a project-based engineering environment.

Responsibilities

• Line management and mentoring for 3-5 engineers.
• Technical leadership within multi-disciplinary project teams.
• Process and practice development across the team.

Skills

Embedded software development

Leadership

Device drivers

DSP

Communications protocols

Algorithm implementation

Technical presentation

Tools

Embedded Linux

RTOS

FPGA

Job description

Overview

This position offers an roughly 80/20 split between hands-on embedded software development and leadership responsibilities, supporting a small team of 3-5 specialist software engineers. Projects are varied—ranging from short 2-day sprints to full-scale 2-year development programmes across a wide range of industries. It’s an excellent fit for someone with solid embedded software experience and some exposure to leadership—whether direct or informal—who's ready to take the next step. A broader understanding of cloud or application-level development is also useful, given the diversity of work.

Location: Hybrid (3 days onsite). Commute options include Cambridge, Saffron Walden, Newmarket, Braintree, Hitchin, Harlow, St Neots, Bury St Edmunds, Chelmsford.

Type: Permanent | Hands-on Technical + Leadership

Other: No Visa sponsorship available

The Opportunity

This is a hands-on role combining software development with team leadership. You'll lead a small, close-knit sub-team within a larger multidisciplinary software group, contributing to the design and delivery of embedded systems for a range of real-world applications—from radar and sensing technologies to IoT devices and advanced communication systems.

Projects span sectors such as defence, healthcare, and industrial innovation, blending embedded software, electronics, FPGA, cloud, and system-level engineering.

Responsibilities

• Line management and mentoring for 3-5 engineers, supporting career development, conducting performance reviews, and assisting with resource planning.
• Technical leadership within multi-disciplinary project teams, including architecture decisions and code contributions.
• Process and practice development across the team, helping shape coding standards, development methodologies, and future technology direction.

What We're Looking For

• Strong experience in embedded software development, ideally across environments such as bare metal, RTOS, or embedded Linux.
• Technical depth in areas such as device drivers, DSP, communications protocols, algorithm implementation, or working close to hardware.
• Some leadership exposure—this could be through running small project teams, mentoring, or handling performance reviews.
• Confidence in communicating technical ideas, presenting to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and producing well-reasoned project estimates.
• Ideally, experience in a consultancy or project-based engineering environment, comfortable balancing technical excellence with time and budget constraints.