Principal Firmware Engineer

Brambles; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

CHEP’s Digital group is accelerating smarter, more sustainable supply chains by leveraging data to power global tracking devices. The Principal Firmware Engineer will lead firmware development for low-power tracking devices, coordinating with hardware, cloud and software teams to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.

You’ll drive feature definition, ensure high code quality and automated testing, and translate customer needs into robust firmware.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of embedded software development experience.
• Experience with embedded C/C++ for development, debugging, testing and performance analysis.
• Experience with embedded/IoT firmware platforms such as FreeRTOS or Zephyr.
• Experience building software for embedded/IoT systems or custom SoCs.
• Experience leading complex features or projects across multiple teams.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Define and own firmware features for performance, power, and security.
• Write and debug embedded C/C++ for microcontrollers, microprocessors, and SoCs.
• Collaborate with hardware teams to bring up new hardware and ensure smooth firmware interaction.
• Establish best practices for code quality, documentation, and automated testing.
• Resolve complex system-level issues across firmware, hardware, and software interfaces
• Lead improvements in software development methodology and unit testing.
• Represent customer features and collaborate with support teams.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

Firmware development

Cross-functional collaboration

Code quality & tests

Leadership

Education

B.S. or M.S in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

Tools

FreeRTOS / Zephyr

Embedded/IoT platforms

Job description

CHEP helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organization on earth via our 347 million pallets, crates and containers. We employ approximately 13,000 people and operate in 60 countries. Through our pioneering and sustainable share-and-reuse business model, the world’s biggest brands trust us to help them transport their goods more efficiently, safely and with less environmental impact.

What does that mean for you? You’ll join an international organization big enough to take you anywhere, and small enough to get you there sooner. You’ll help change how goods get to market and contribute to global sustainability. You’ll be empowered to bring your authentic self to work and be surrounded by diverse and driven professionals. And you can maximize your work-life balance and flexibility through our Hybrid Work Model.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities May Include:

• Translate system requirements into design specifications and develop firmware applications for low-power, small-system environments.
• Design, develop, document, and test I/O communication protocols and device drivers for embedded systems.
• Manage and maintain source code repositories, ensuring version control and efficient development practices.
• Develop tracking and sensor telemetry applications for real-time LPWAN or Cellular IoT networks.
• Optimize firmware solutions to enhance network performance, signal quality, and power efficiency.
• Implement and lead improvements in software development methodologies, including unit test strategies.
• Participate in technical design reviews to improve code quality, system architecture, and deployment processes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure successful integration and post-deployment support.

POSITION PURPOSE

Our Digital group is enabling the future by using data and insights to power smarter, more sustainable supply chains. A key part of this strategy is the development of the tracking device platforms that will enable these data and insights to be collected – and the Firmware team is at the heart of this transformation.

In this role, you will demonstrate good development practices and seamless collaboration across multiple teams in Digital and beyond. Engineering for device systems spans deep collaboration across engineering disciplines (Hardware design, Test, Architects, Technical Project Management, and Cloud software teams). Our engineers drive concepts into prototypes and prototypes to products.

The Principal Firmware Engineer provides thought leadership in execution for corporate projects but also is a strong voice of the customer. We expect this individual to represent Customer configuration, firmware modifications, feature development and work closely with Customer Success leadership to ensure we have a customer first approach and our solutions delight our customers.

This will include setting up custom configuration database, define modification levers, if needed, create a software UI/UX for customers working closely with customer-facing teams. This could also include some customer visits, representing the company at customer sites and translating business requirements into features for internal development to deliver.

The role also has the responsibility for building and strengthening the firmware engineering team and its capabilities.

SCOPE

• Work closely with team design efforts for Firmware Projects.
• This includes all Digital device portfolio projects (Ultra, Scout, Pulse), Engineering POC, Cloud side implementation for device management and device administration which contribute to all of Asset Digitization programs including Continuous Diagnostics, Targeted Diagnostics, Serialization+ & Digital Commercial Services
• Responsible for customer configuration management which will be done working closely with the commercial/sales team as well as Customer Success team.

MAJOR / KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Architecture & Design: Define and own the technical features for firmware, optimizing for performance, power, and security.
• Development & Debugging: Write and debug complex embedded C/C++ code for microcontrollers, microprocessors, and SoCs.
• System Integration: Collaborate with hardware teams to bring up new hardware, interpret schematics, and ensure smooth hardware/firmware interaction.
• Technical Leadership: Establish best practices for code quality, documentation, and automated testing.
• Problem Solving: Resolve complex, system-level issues that span across firmware, hardware, and software interfaces
• Develop tracking and sensor telemetry applications for real-time Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) or Cellular IoT networks
• Develop, coordinate and implement improvements in software development methodology and leading practices including requirements definition, specification development, and unit test strategies.
• Be a strong voice of customer for customer features, configuration changes and debugs working with Customer support teams.
• Develop tracking and sensor telemetry applications for real-time Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) or Cellular IoT networks

MEASURES

Product prototypes which can be tested, resulting in a minimally viable product to enable the Digital team to gather the data needed to derive the IOT data resulting in intelligence that can be monetized.

AUTHORITY / DECISION MAKING

Working autonomously or having limited access to immediate manager

Working in a matrix environment

KEY CONTACTS

Internal: Engineering, Project Management, Cloud, Technology Services, Hardware Design, Field testing, Manufacturing, DCS leadership, S+ leadership team

External: External vendors, specifically, choose the technology or products that will be used in the engineering of the device and External customers

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with embedded software design and programming in C/C++ for development, debugging, testing and performance analysis
• 8-12 years of experience in embedded software development
• Experience working with embedded/IOT firmware platforms with FreeRTOS or Zephyr or similar OS.
• Experience building software for embedded/IOT systems or custom SoCs
• Experience leading complex features or projects across multiple teams
• B.S. or M.S degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience

Desirable:

• Experience with lab instrumentation for power, performance tuning, SDKs, analyzers for debugging IOT systems
• Experience delivering electronics devices in Consumer, IOT, Embedded markets
• Demonstrated expertise in one or several of the following areas - communication protocols (TCP/IP, Bluetooth, Wifi), computer vision, sensors, cellular

EXPERIENCE

• 8/12 years of related experience in embedded systems.

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Play a critical role in the definition and execution of firmware projects
• Analyze, design, develop, and debug firmware for a wide variety of tracking devices, including GPS, Cellular, Wi-Fi/Ble
• Be a go‑to person for complex development, performance and evaluation issues that require in-depth knowledge of product‑focused firmware development
• Align long‑term vision with short term priorities
• Knowledge of communication protocols: I2C, SPI, USART, I2S, PCM.
• Experience with sensors, accelerometers, gyro, GPS, humidity, temperature
• Experience with Wi-Fi, BLE, and Cellular IoT solutions is a plus.

Remote Type

Hybrid Remote

Skills to succeed in the role

Adaptability, Debugging, Embedded Systems, Empathy, Experimentation, Firmware Programming, GitHub, Low-Power Design, Protocol Development, Taking Ownership, Teamwork, Understand Customers

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce in which everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has the opportunity to contribute to business success while realizing his or her potential. This means harnessing the unique skills and experience that each individual brings and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.