Embedded Firmware Engineer – C++ (Mid-Level / Senior)

PIXIE; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Pixie Services is seeking an Embedded Firmware Engineer to design, implement, and optimize firmware for complex hardware platforms. The role focuses on modern C++ development, hardware interfacing, and real-time concepts in a Linux-based environment.

The ideal candidate will drive firmware features end-to-end, collaborate with hardware and systems teams, and deliver reliable, scalable embedded software with minimal supervision.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in embedded firmware or embedded software development.
• Strong hands-on C++ programming experience, including object-oriented design and memory management.
• Proven experience developing firmware that directly interacts with hardware.
• Strong understanding of embedded systems architecture and hardware interfaces.
• Experience with Linux-based development environments and version control.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, implement, and maintain embedded firmware using modern C++.
• Own firmware features and components through the full development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, systems engineering, and software architecture teams.
• Develop and execute unit tests and participate in code reviews and CI pipelines.
• Troubleshoot firmware/hardware interactions and diagnose complex issues.
• Produce technical documentation for design, testing, and maintenance.

Skills

C++ programming

Embedded firmware development

Linux

Multithreading

Debugging

Tools

Git

Emulators

Logic analyzers

Protocol analyzers

Job description

Core Skills: Embedded C++, Firmware Development, Hardware/Software Integration, Linux, Debugging, Real-Time Systems

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and self-driven Embedded Firmware Engineer with strong expertise in C++ programming and embedded systems development to support the design, development, integration, and optimization of firmware for complex hardware-based platforms.

The ideal candidate will bring a solid foundation in modern C++, hands-on experience developing software that interacts directly with hardware, and the ability to independently navigate complex technical environments.

This role requires close collaboration with Firmware, Hardware, Systems Engineering, FPGA, and Software Architecture teams to translate technical and functional requirements into reliable, scalable, and maintainable embedded software solutions.

We are looking for an engineer who can take ownership of assigned components, troubleshoot complex hardware/software issues, and consistently deliver high-quality solutions with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

Embedded Firmware Development

• Design, develop, implement, and maintain embedded firmware using modern C++.
• Own firmware features and software components throughout the full development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, design, coding, integration, testing, and defect resolution.
• Develop efficient, reliable, and maintainable code for hardware-integrated, real-time, and resource-constrained environments.
• Apply strong object-oriented programming principles, memory management techniques, concurrency concepts, and robust error-handling practices.
• Analyze existing firmware architectures and codebases to identify improvements in performance, reliability, and maintainability.

Hardware & Software Integration

• Work closely with hardware, FPGA, systems, and architecture teams to define interfaces and translate system requirements into firmware solutions.
• Develop and troubleshoot firmware interacting with hardware interfaces, embedded processors, device peripherals, and communication protocols.
• Support hardware/software integration, system validation, and troubleshooting activities.
• Diagnose complex issues involving firmware behavior, hardware interactions, timing, and system performance.
• Utilize debugging tools, emulators, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and system logs to investigate and resolve technical problems.

Software Quality, Testing & Validation

• Develop and execute unit tests, integration tests, and firmware verification procedures.
• Contribute to automated testing frameworks and continuous integration pipelines to improve software quality.
• Participate in peer code reviews and technical design reviews, ensuring compliance with engineering best practices.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve software defects while maintaining strong regression test coverage.
• Produce technical documentation supporting software design, implementation, testing, traceability, and ongoing maintenance.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Ownership

• Collaborate with globally distributed engineering teams to ensure successful integration and delivery of firmware components.
• Independently investigate unfamiliar technologies, tools, codebases, and system architectures.
• Translate ambiguous technical requirements into actionable engineering tasks and deliverables.
• Estimate development effort, manage assigned user stories, and communicate progress, risks, dependencies, and blockers.
• Contribute to architectural discussions and continuous improvements across embedded platforms.
• Demonstrate strong ownership, accountability, and the ability to deliver results in a fast-paced technical environment.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in embedded firmware or embedded software development.
• Strong hands-on C++ programming experience, including object-oriented design, memory management, multithreading/concurrency fundamentals, debugging, and maintainable production-quality code.
• Proven experience developing firmware or embedded software that directly interacts with hardware.
• Strong understanding of embedded systems architecture, hardware interfaces, device communication, and resource-constrained environments.
• Experience debugging complex firmware and hardware/software integration issues.
• Hands-on experience with embedded debugging tools such as debuggers, emulators, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and diagnostic logs.
• Proficiency working in Linux-based development environments.
• Experience with Git or similar source control systems, software build tools, and development workflows.
• Familiarity with continuous integration, automated testing, unit testing, and code review practices.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to independently understand complex existing codebases and deliver technical solutions with limited supervision.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills when working across multiple engineering disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and real-time embedded software development.
• Experience developing multithreaded, concurrent, or timing-sensitive applications.
• Exposure to device drivers, board support packages (BSP), hardware bring-up, and board-level debugging.
• Knowledge of embedded communication protocols and hardware interfaces.
• Experience integrating firmware with FPGA-based systems.
• Experience developing software for complex hardware platforms or sophisticated embedded products.
• Experience in regulated, safety-critical, or quality-controlled product development environments.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies, sprint planning, user stories, and iterative software delivery.
• Experience with containerized development environments and automated build pipelines.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be a hands-on firmware engineer who combines strong C++ development expertise with practical embedded hardware knowledge.

They should be comfortable working within large, complex codebases, diagnosing challenging system-level issues, and collaborating with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who demonstrates technical ownership, independent problem-solving, adaptability, and a strong commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality embedded software.