Principal Firmware Engineer

Recruit Mint Ltd; Eye; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Clear career path to leadership

High-impact firmware work

Established manufacturer backing

Job summary

Recruit Mint Ltd is seeking a Principal Firmware Engineer to act as the technical authority for embedded firmware powering smart metering products. You will own firmware architecture, drive high‑scale development in embedded C, and mentor a team of engineers across multiple projects shipping in the millions.

This role offers a clear path to leading the firmware function, with exposure to cyber security integration and adherence to metering specifications.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience developing firmware in embedded C, operating at a senior or principal level.
• A proven track record of owning firmware architecture and leading complex development
• A strong maths background
• Experience taking products through full new development and significant redesign
• The ability to set standards and to technically lead and mentor other engineers
• Experience building cyber security into embedded products, which is increasingly important
• Experience with the Microchip toolchain and emulation environments, which is an advantage
• Knowledge of metering specifications or device language standards, which is desirable
• Scripting experience, which is useful
• A degree in electronics, software or a related discipline, or equivalent experience
• The credibility to act as firmware technical lead, with the potential to grow into leading the function

Responsibilities

• Acting as the senior technical authority for firmware across the product range
• Leading firmware architecture and design in embedded C for metering products
• Taking on the most complex new development, redesign and modular improvement work
• Setting firmware standards, processes and best practice, and raising the quality bar across the team
• Leading the integration of cyber security into firmware in line with new directives
• Developing firmware to relevant metering specifications and device language standards
• Writing and overseeing test code, and building testing into the development process
• Working within the Microchip toolchain and emulation environment
• Debugging and validating firmware against hardware, and resolving the hardest faults
• Mentoring and technically guiding other firmware engineers
• Contributing to the firmware roadmap and influencing product direction
• Producing and reviewing clear technical documentation

Skills

Embedded C

Firmware architecture

Cyber security

Mentoring

Leadership

Scripting

Device language standards

maths background

Education

Degree in electronics or software

Tools

Microchip toolchain

Emulation environments

Testing frameworks

Job description

Principal Firmware Engineer

Be the technical authority behind firmware that ships in its millions and set the standard for how it is built.

This is a Principal Firmware Engineer role with an established manufacturer of smart metering products.

As a Principal Firmware Engineer, you will be the senior technical authority for the embedded firmware at the heart of an established manufacturer's smart metering products. Working entirely in embedded C on Microchip tools, you will lead the most demanding technical work across new product development, significant redesign and modular improvement, on a range that ships well over a million units with new products every 12 to 18 months. You will own firmware architecture, set the standards the team works to, build cyber security into products under new directives, and mentor the engineers around you. With the current firmware manager moving to part-time, there is also a genuine path towards leading the firmware function for the right person. If you are a firmware engineer operating at the top of your craft who wants real technical ownership, this is a role with genuine depth.

Job Responsibilities

• Acting as the senior technical authority for firmware across the product range
• Leading firmware architecture and design in embedded C for metering products
• Taking on the most complex new development, redesign and modular improvement work
• Setting firmware standards, processes and best practice, and raising the quality bar across the team
• Leading the integration of cyber security into firmware in line with new directives
• Developing firmware to relevant metering specifications and device language standards
• Writing and overseeing test code, and building testing into the development process
• Working within the Microchip toolchain and emulation environment
• Debugging and validating firmware against hardware, and resolving the hardest faults
• Mentoring and technically guiding other firmware engineers
• Contributing to the firmware roadmap and influencing product direction
• Producing and reviewing clear technical documentation

Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience developing firmware in embedded C, operating at a senior or principal level
• A proven track record of owning firmware architecture and leading complex development
• A strong maths background
• Experience taking products through full new development and significant redesign
• The ability to set standards and to technically lead and mentor other engineers
• Experience building cyber security into embedded products, which is increasingly important
• Experience with the Microchip toolchain and emulation environments, which is an advantage
• Knowledge of metering specifications or device language standards, which is desirable
• Scripting experience, which is useful
• A degree in electronics, software or a related discipline, or equivalent experience
• The credibility to act as firmware technical lead, with the potential to grow into leading the function

Pay and Benefits

• Salary up to £60,000
• A clear path towards leading the firmware function
• Technical authority and ownership of firmware across the product range
• Varied, high-impact work on products that ship in their millions
• The backing of an established manufacturer investing in its products

Principal-level roles that combine deep, hands-on firmware work with real technical authority do not come along often. You would own the firmware behind products that ship in their millions, set the standard for how it is built, and have a genuine route towards leading the function.