Senior Embedded Software Engineer

iO Associates; Livingston; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

iO Associates is seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer for a fast-growing engineering consultancy. You will design and deliver embedded products, take ideas from concept to production, and work closely with engineers and customers on robust software for demanding projects.

You'll develop in C and modern C++, on Linux systems (Yocto/Debian), for 16/32-bit MCUs, with Ethernet/USB interfaces and wireless modules.

Qualifications

• 5+ years developing embedded / real-time systems.
• Strong commercial experience with modern C++ and C.
• Experience with Linux-based embedded development (Yocto, Debian).
• Familiar with embedded communication protocols and hardware interfaces.
• Proven focus on clean code, testing, and best-practice development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with customers.

Responsibilities

• Develop embedded/real-time software in C and modern C++.
• Work on Linux system development (e.g. Yocto, Debian).
• Build software for 16/32-bit microcontrollers (e.g. ARM, PIC, MSP430, DSP).
• Integrate standard comms interfaces: Ethernet, USB, RS232, I2C, SPI.
• Control and integrate wireless modules: Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, LoRa, NFC.
• Debug, fault-find, and improve reliability/performance of embedded systems.
• Produce customer-ready documentation, test evidence, and reports.
• Evaluate and introduce new tools, techniques, and processes where useful.

Skills

Embedded software

C/C++

Real-time systems

Linux development

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering

Tools

Yocto

Debian

Embedded Linux

ARM

Job description

The role

A fast-growing engineering consultancy is looking for an experienced Senior Embedded Software Engineer to design and deliver innovative embedded products across varied markets. This is a hands-on role where you'll take ideas from early concept through prototype and into production, working closely with both engineers and customers.

You'll be developing robust, high-quality embedded software for technically demanding projects, often under tight timelines. You'll contribute across the full lifecycle: architecture, implementation, testing, debugging, and customer-facing documentation.

What you'll be doing

• Develop embedded/real-time software in C and modern C++
• Work on Linux system development (e.g. Yocto, Debian)
• Build software for 16/32-bit microcontrollers (e.g. ARM, PIC, MSP430, DSP)
• Integrate standard comms interfaces: Ethernet, USB, RS232, I2C, SPI
• Control and integrate wireless modules: Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, LoRa, NFC
• Debug, fault-find, and improve reliability/performance of embedded systems
• Produce customer-ready documentation, test evidence, and reports
• Evaluate and introduce new tools, techniques, and processes where useful

Essential experience

• 5+ years developing embedded / real-time systems
• Strong commercial experience with modern C++ and C
• Embedded Linux development exposure (Yocto/Debian or similar)
• Confident with embedded comms protocols and typical hardware interfaces
• Strong engineering practices: clean code, testing mindset, best-practice development
• Good communication skills (internal + customer-facing)

Nice to have

• RTOS (e.g. FreeRTOS)
• Object-oriented design
• Windows / C#
• Security/crypto/TLS stacks
• Android/iOS apps
• DSP algorithms, image/video capture & processing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering (or related)

Eligibility

• Must have the right to work in the UK (sponsorship not available)