Senior Embedded Hardware Design Engineer

Groundup.ai Pte Ltd; Singapore; Hybrid; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Groundup.ai Pte Ltd is hiring a Senior Embedded Hardware Engineer to design, develop and optimize cutting‑edge industrial AI hardware, including sensors, gateways and edge devices. You will lead end‑to‑end embedded hardware and firmware development to ensure robust, scalable solutions for real‑world industrial environments.

You will work within a fast‑paced, international Hardware R&D team, driving hardware excellence, collaborating with software, product, supply chain and manufacturing to

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field.
• 5–8 years hands‑on embedded firmware development in industrial/harsh environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication in English (Mandarin beneficial).
• Experience with C/C++ for microcontrollers and ARM Cortex‑M.
• Proven background in circuit design, PCB layout and product testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware design across analog/digital, embedded firmware, EMI/EMC, and hazardous area certification.
• Perform verification and validation including functional, environmental, robustness tests.
• Collaborate with software, product engineering, supply chain and manufacturing for cohesive product delivery.
• Lead mechanical enclosure and chassis design to meet thermal and manufacturability requirements.
• Manage project scope, timeline, and budget in alignment with senior management goals.
• Coordinate with third-party partners to augment design capabilities.
• Oversee firmware lifecycle from architecture to deployment, including testing and documentation.
• Design and review schematics/PCB layouts for rugged industrial hardware.
• Develop test plans to ensure reliability in harsh environments.
• Integrate CAN, Modbus, IO-Link, Profinet, Profibus, EtherCAT, Ethernet/IP protocols.

Skills

Embedded firmware

C/C++ programming

English & Mandarin

ARM Cortex‑M

Circuit design

PCB layout

Low‑power design

Industrial protocols

Regulatory compliance

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor or Master in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

CAN

Modbus

UART

SPI

I2C

Zigbee

LoRa

EtherCAT

Ethernet/IP

MQTT

Linux‑based edge devices

Job description

Groundup.ai aims to empower every workplace to be an AI-driven company. We envision that our clients will be using our AI tools as a foundation in their everyday operations. As we continue bringing our innovative approach to fast-growing companies across manufacturing, aerospace, logistics, and maritime, we are looking for a Senior Embedded Hardware Engineer to join us on this exciting journey.

This role is critical in designing, developing, and optimizing cutting-edge industrial AI hardware, including sensors, gateways, and edge devices. You will lead end-to-end embedded hardware and firmware development, ensuring that our solutions are robust, scalable, and reliable in real-world industrial environments.

As part of our Hardware R&D team, you will work in a fast-paced environment with a talented, international team to build and iterate the next generation of smart devices that power cognitive maintenance, machine health monitoring, and industrial automation.

We value team members who take ownership, move fast, and are hungry to build impactful solutions. We’ve secured strategic partnerships and government recognition for our work—now we’re scaling further, and we want you onboard.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical excellence in hardware design, including analog, digital signal processing, embedded firmware, EMI/EMC compliance, and hazardous area certification.
• Ensure thorough verification and validation practices, including functional, environmental, robustness, and compliance testing.
• Work in close coordination with software development, product engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing to align design objectives and deliver cohesive, production-ready solutions
• Lead all aspects of the mechanical design of enclosures and chassis, ensuring compliance with thermal, structural, and manufacturability requirements.
• Ensure project costs, scope, quality, and development timelines are achieved within senior management goals.
• Engage and manage third-party development partners to augment internal design capabilities.
• Manage the entire firmware development lifecycle—from architecture, coding (primarily in C/C++), testing, and documentation to final deployment.
• Design and review schematics and PCB layouts for rugged industrial hardware.
• Develop and implement test plans to ensure system reliability and performance in harsh environments.
• Integrate industrial communication protocols such as CAN, Modbus (RTU / TCP), IO-Link, Profinet, Profibus, EtherCAT, and Ethernet/IP.
• Troubleshoot and debug both hardware and firmware issues on real industrial systems, including oil & gas machinery.
• Ensure seamless data acquisition, transmission, and sensor performance in the field.
• Maintain accurate documentation and track bugs, updates, and design changes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong professional written and verbal communication skills in both English and Mandarin.
• 5–8 years of hands‑on embedded firmware development, ideally in industrial or harsh‑environment applications.
• Strong technical background in electronic circuit design, PCB layout, and product testing.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ for microcontrollers and working knowledge in either Rust or Python
• Professional experience with industrial communication protocols and their relevant functional safety standards
• Professional experience with Low‑speed / Local Communication (Between MCU and sensors/peripherals) such as UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), I2C, 1-Wire
• Professional experience with Wireless Communication technologies such as Bluetooth / BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), Zigbee, LoRa, Wi‑Fi
• Proficient in ARM Cortex‑M microcontroller development, including startup code, interrupt handling, low-power modes, and peripheral drivers.
• Experience integrating wireless LoRa and Zigbee devices with edge gateways (e.g., Linux-based systems, MQTT, Modbus TCP, or cloud APIs).
• Expertise in ultra-low power design, including sleep mode optimization and current profiling for battery‑powered Zigbee devices.
• Professional experience with Zigbee protocol stack (e.g., Zigbee 3.0), mesh network architecture, and integration of Zigbee sensors and gateways
• Hands‑on experience with analog and digital sensors for temperature, vibration, and sound acquisition and calibration.
• Familiarity with hardware design, schematic capture, embedded systems, and mechanical design integration.
• Practical experience working with or designing industrial electronics or sensor-based systems.
• Experience with regulatory compliance, including CE, IECEx.
• Proven success managing multi‑functional engineering teams and delivering complex projects.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with industrial automation systems.
• Experience working in regulated industries (e.g., process, power, oil & gas, military).
• Exposure to hardware cybersecurity concepts.
• Competitive salary and Employee Stock Options.
• Guaranteed work on high-visibility projects
• Flexible work arrangements for selected roles.
• Professional coaching and mentorship programs.
• Accelerated career progression and development opportunities.
• Performance benchmarked bonuses (not based on years of experience).
• Career accelerator fund and tuition reimbursement for relevant post-graduate degrees, education, and courses.