Embedded System Engineer

Project Stardust; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A maternal health tech startup in San Francisco seeks a Lead Software and Embedded Systems Engineer to develop an innovative IoT wearable device for maternal health monitoring. This is a full-time position requiring embedded C/C++ expertise, BLE protocol experience, and leadership skills. The ideal candidate will play a crucial role in the design and implementation of the device’s software lifecycle while ensuring data integrity and security. Competitive compensation range is $150,000 - $200,000 plus equity. In-person attendance is expected 3 days a week.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software development, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Deep expertise in embedded C/C++ for resource-constrained microcontrollers.
• Proven experience with BLE protocols and profiles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and testing of the embedded firmware.
• Architect and implement a low-latency BLE stack for secure data transmission.
• Manage and mentor a small team of engineers.

Skills

Embedded C/C++ development

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocols

Data integrity and security

Team leadership

Signal processing

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field

Tools

FreeRTOS

Zephyr

Job description

Lead Software and Embedded Systems Engineer

Wearable Maternal Health IoT Device

Overview

ABOUT US:

Help us bring pregnancy into the 21st century and save the lives of millions of babies lost to preventable causes.

Project Stardust aims to save the lives of the babies lost in childbirth or late-stage pregnancy to causes that could be prevented with actionable signals about fetal growth and well-being. The problem is urgent: Stillbirths are the leading cause of infant mortality (~24,000/yr in the U.S, 1 in 150 births); many involve mechanisms where earlier detection has been proven to change outcomes. Yet only a small fraction of parents get additional monitoring and scans in their final trimester, because these are currently done in hospitals that are already overloaded and overworked. As a result, for example more than 70% of stillborn babies with growth restriction are not diagnosed until after birth.

We are building affordable, comfortable and intuitive smart belly bands that use sensor-fusion and AI-workflows to provide parents with individualized growth curves, monitor fetal movement, track fetal heart rate, measure blood flow in the umbilical cord and placenta, and provide timely alerts to seek care. The underlying technologies have all already been validated clinically - we just need to assemble them into a compelling and easy-to-use product.

Project Stardust is a 7 person team, including two serial founders with consumer hardware experience, a Stanford professor specialising in using ML on noisy datasets, and two clinicians who are experts in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and commercializing medical devices. Founded by parents who have lost a child to stillbirth, there is no-one better positioned to address this problem.

More information can be found at www.project-stardust.org

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Lead Software and Embedded Systems Engineer to join our team focused on developing an innovative IoT wearable device for maternal health and fetal monitoring. As the Lead Software Engineer, you will be the technical anchor for our cross-functional team. You will be responsible for the complete software lifecycle, from architecting the embedded firmware and the BLE communication layer to ensuring the security and performance of the data transmitted to the cloud.

This role demands a strong background in both embedded systems (specifically low-power BLE communication) and a commitment to quality in a health and wellness domain. You will lead and mentor a small team of engineers, setting technical direction and best practices.

As a key member of the team, your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the design, development, and testing of the device's embedded firmware using C/C++ .
• Architecting and implementing the robust and low-latency Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) stack for secure pairing and data transmission to the companion mobile application.
• Ensuring data integrity and security for all sensitive maternal and fetal health data, adhering to relevant privacy best practices.
• Working closely with the mobile application development team to define APIs and optimize the BLE communication channel for power efficiency and reliability.
• Managing and mentor software engineers , conducting code reviews and promoting a culture of high-quality, documented code.
• Collaborating with Hardware Engineers on board bring-up, sensor integration, and power consumption optimization.
• Contributing to the cloud backend architecture for secure data ingestion, processing, and delivery of AI-powered monitoring features.
• Troubleshooting complex issues spanning the embedded device, BLE layer, and data pipeline.
• Bringing joy and carrying culture! As the second or third employee, you’ll be core to how we develop as a company.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years of experience in software development, with a minimum of 2 years in a leadership or senior role.
• Deep expertise in embedded C/C++ development for resource-constrained microcontrollers and Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) such as FreeRTOS or Zephyr.
• Proven experience developing, optimizing, and debugging Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocols and profiles.
• Strong understanding of wireless communication, signal processing (acoustics, IMUs), and low-power design techniques for battery-operated devices.
• Familiarity with data privacy and security best practices (e.g., encryption, secure boot).

Bonus Points

• Prior experience developing software for medical, maternal health, or consumer health-focused wearable devices.
• Experience with sensor data acquisition, filtering, and analysis for biometric monitoring.
• Hands-on experience with digital signal processing (DSP) fundamentals (including filtering, beamforming, and spectral analysis), particularly as applied to IMU and/or acoustic sensor data.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines for embedded systems.
• Prior in depth experience with at least one major cloud service provider (AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.).
• Familiarity with deploying ML models on edge compute.
• Strong motivation to improve maternal and fetal healthcare.

This is a full time position starting Q2 2026, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and requiring ~3 days a week in-person.

Compensation will be in the range of $150,000 - $200,000, plus equity competitive for pre-seed start-ups.

Project Stardust is an equal opportunity employer. Our hiring decisions are based on need and competence to satisfy said need. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected status.

Any and all offers of employment are conditional on candidates’ ability to provide satisfactory proof of eligibility to maintain full-time employment in the United States.

To apply, send via email a resume, portfolio and cover letter to [e-mail]