Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Jobtailor; Sedgefield; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced embedded systems engineer to architect, develop, and maintain subsystem firmware in Zephyr or bare-metal environments. You will contribute to embedded Linux systems using Yocto and support board bring-up with debugging tools.

Responsibilities include designing networking interfaces, secure communications, and middleware, while collaborating with hardware and FPGA teams to ensure reliable data flow.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in embedded systems.
• Strong embedded Linux development experience.
• Experience with RTOS and/or bare-metal development.
• Prototype board bring-up experience.
• Proficient in C/C++ for embedded systems; optimise resources.
• Familiar with Gigabit Ethernet, CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, RS422.
• Debugging with oscilloscopes, analyzers; GDB, perf, valgrind.
• ARM Cortex-M/A devices; STM32.
• Yocto Project / PetaLinux or similar; Zephyr OS.
• Knowledge of Linux kernel, drivers, bootloaders, systemd.

Responsibilities

• Architect and maintain subsystem firmware in Zephyr or bare-metal.
• Develop embedded Linux systems using Yocto.
• Support board bring-up and debugging with scopes/analyzers.
• Design board-to-board communication protocols and networking interfaces.
• Implement secure networking; TLS/SSH/IPSec/HTTPS and OTA security.
• Develop system services, drivers, and middleware for embedded Linux.
• Lead root-cause analysis for embedded networking/security issues.
• Document interfaces and requirements; collaborate with hardware/FPGA teams.

Skills

Embedded Linux

C/C++

RTOS/Bare-metal

ARM Cortex-M/A

Yocto Project

Zephyr OS

Linux kernel & drivers

TLS/SSH/IPSec/HTTPS

Python

CI/CD

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE or equivalent

Tools

GDB

Perf

Valgrind

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Nmap/OpenVAS/Nessus

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Responsibilities

• Architecting, developing, and maintaining subsystem firmware in Zephyr or bare-metal environments.
• Architecting, developing, and maintaining embedded Linux systems using Yocto.
• Supporting board bring-up, including diagnosis using oscilloscopes, logic analysers, and software-based debugging techniques.
• Designing and maintaining board-to-board communication protocols.
• Designing and maintaining networking interfaces, including REST APIs, SNMP agents, and OpenAPI specifications.
• Implementing and debugging TCP/UDP communication layers, low-level networking behaviour, and protocol performance.
• Developing secure communication methods and applying best practices for authentication, encryption, secure OTA updates, and system hardening.
• Using tools such as Nmap, OpenVAS, Nessus, or similar to assess system vulnerabilities and improve security.
• Developing system services, daemons, device drivers, and communication middleware on embedded Linux.
• Leading troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for embedded networking and security issues.
• Defining embedded software requirements, interface specifications, and technical documentation.
• Working closely with hardware, FPGA, and systems engineers to ensure reliable and secure data and control flow.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience in low-level embedded systems development.
• Strong professional experience in embedded Linux software development.
• Professional experience in one or more real-time operating systems (RTOS) and/or bare-metal development.
• Solid experience in prototype board bring-up.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems, including optimising CPU and RAM utilisation.
• Knowledge of digital communication interfaces such as Gigabit Ethernet, CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, and RS422.
• Strong debugging experience using oscilloscopes, logic analysers, and software debugging tools such as GDB, perf, and valgrind.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and documentation skills.
• Solid experience with ARM Cortex-M and Cortex-A devices, particularly STM32.
• Hands-on experience with the Yocto Project, PetaLinux, or similar build systems.
• Professional experience with Zephyr OS.
• Strong understanding of Linux kernel architecture, device drivers, bootloaders, systemd, and system services.
• Solid understanding of secure networking protocols such as TLS, SSH, IPSec, and HTTPS, as well as authentication and encryption methods.
• Experience in secure bootloader and firmware update development.
• Solid proficiency in Python.
• Experience with extremely high frequency RF systems.
• Familiarity with MISRA C/C++ or other high-reliability embedded software standards.
• Experience in Linux systems automation, including CI/CD and testing.
• Familiarity with container technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Basic soldering ability for minor modifications or attaching leads for probing.
• Ability to obtain SC security clearance, where required by the nature of the work.