Lead Firmware Engineer

Orion Electrotech; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Competitive salary

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Orion Electrotech is seeking an experienced Embedded Firmware Lead to head a small team delivering production-quality firmware for connected devices. You will own the firmware platform across edge devices, ensuring reliability, performance, and maintainability.

Responsibilities include leading firmware design, developing in C/C++, Python, and integrating MQTT/LoRaWAN communication with cloud services while driving CI/CD and testing automation in a hybrid work setup.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Electronics, Embedded Systems, or Software Engineering.
• Proven track record delivering production-quality embedded firmware.
• Strong C/C++ and Python development skills.
• Experience with STM32 or ARM Cortex-M platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of firmware engineers, providing technical direction.
• Design, code, and maintain embedded firmware using C/C++ and Python.
• Drive firmware architecture, testing, and code quality across projects.
• Collaborate with hardware, software, and product teams for seamless integration.
• Develop wireless communication solutions (MQTT, LoRaWAN) and cloud links.
• Improve CI/CD processes and automate testing strategies.
• Analyse device telemetry to validate performance and troubleshoot field issues.
• Maintain long‑term firmware maintainability and tooling.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Leadership

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electronics, Embedded Systems, Software Engineering

Tools

STM32

ARM Cortex‑M

Git

CI/CD

Unit testing

MQTT

LoRaWAN

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Embedded Firmware Lead to join an innovative technology company developing advanced connected devices and data-driven solutions. This role is ideal for a senior embedded engineer looking to combine hands‑on technical expertise with team leadership responsibility.

You will take ownership of an established firmware platform, lead a small team of embedded engineers, and play a pivotal role in the ongoing evolution of products that combine edge computing, wireless communications, cloud connectivity, and sensor technologies.

Working across the entire device lifecycle, from sensor data acquisition through to cloud integration, you will be instrumental in delivering reliable, scalable, and high-performance firmware solutions for real-world deployments.

Key Responsibilities

As the Embedded Firmware Lead, you will:

• Lead and mentor a team of firmware engineers, providing technical direction and support.
• Design, develop, and maintain high-quality embedded firmware using C/C++ and Python.
• Drive best practices across firmware architecture, testing, documentation, and code quality.
• Collaborate closely with hardware, software, and product teams to ensure seamless system integration.
• Develop and optimise communication solutions using technologies such as MQTT, LoRaWAN, and other wireless protocols.
• Support integration with cloud-based IoT platforms and data processing environments.
• Investigate, diagnose, and resolve complex firmware and hardware-related challenges.
• Maintain and enhance existing firmware codebases while improving long‑term maintainability.
• Implement and support CI/CD processes, version control workflows, and automated testing strategies.
• Develop and maintain firmware validation processes, including unit, integration, and hardware-in‑the-loop testing.
• Build and maintain software components that translate raw device telemetry into structured, validated datasets.
• Analyse device-generated data to validate system performance, troubleshoot field issues, and support product improvements.
• Contribute to technical roadmap discussions and evaluate emerging embedded and IoT technologies.

We're looking for candidates with:

• Degree qualification in Computer Science, Electronics, Embedded Systems, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience delivering production-quality embedded firmware solutions.
• Strong programming capability in C/C++ and Python.
• Extensive experience with STM32 microcontrollers or similar ARM Cortex‑M platforms.
• Strong knowledge of embedded development toolchains and debugging techniques.
• Experience working with IoT communication protocols, including MQTT and LoRaWAN.
• Exposure to cloud-connected devices and IoT ecosystems.
• Experience using Git, CI/CD methodologies, and static code analysis tools.
• Strong understanding of firmware testing methodologies and release validation processes.
• Experience designing and decoding binary communication protocols and sensor payload formats.
• Excellent problem‑solving, communication, and leadership skills.

What's on Offer?

• Opportunity to lead firmware development for innovative connected products.
• Significant technical ownership and influence over product direction.
• Collaborative engineering culture with a strong focus on quality and innovation.
• Exposure to cutting‑edge IoT, wireless communication, and cloud technologies.
• Clear opportunity to shape technical standards, processes, and future product development.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.

If you're an experienced Embedded Firmware Engineer, Senior Firmware Developer, Firmware Team Lead, Embedded Software Lead, or IoT Firmware Specialist seeking a role where you can make a genuine technical impact, we'd love to hear from you.

We thank you for your application in advance. Due to the volume of applications we receive, unfortunately, we are not able to respond to every application personally; therefore, if you have not heard back from us within 5 working days, please assume your application has been unsuccessful. To see our other available vacancies, please visit our website.