Embedded Systems Architect

Express Employment Professionals - Cincinnati East; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Express Employment Professionals - Cincinnati East is seeking an Embedded Systems Architect to own both the architectural and hands-on development of next-generation embedded products. You will define architectures, prototype, debug, and drive system-level integration across hardware, firmware and software.

The role blends strategic architecture with practical implementation, mentoring engineers while delivering robust, manufacturable designs.

Qualifications

• Architect who executes across hardware, firmware, software and system-level design.
• Hands-on contributor who prototypes, tests and troubleshoots.
• Ability to define architecture and roadmap for next-gen products.
• Collaborates across product development, manufacturing and quality.
• Mentor engineers while remaining hands-on.

Responsibilities

• Define the architecture for next-gen embedded products and platforms.
• Work across electrical hardware, embedded firmware, embedded software, sensors and system-level integration.
• Translate product requirements into practical system architectures and technical solutions.
• Make architecture and technology decisions balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost and time to market.
• Design and/or contribute to embedded hardware and electrical systems.
• Develop, modify, debug, and review embedded firmware and software.
• Collaborate with microcontrollers, processors, sensors, interfaces and peripherals.
• Build prototypes and proof-of-concept systems to validate new technologies.
• Troubleshoot problems across hardware and software boundaries.
• Participate in schematic reviews, board bring-up, firmware development, debugging and system integration.
• Establish reusable platforms, interfaces and development standards.
• Work with product development, manufacturing, quality, service and leadership to bring solutions to market.

Skills

Hardware

Embedded Systems

Firmware & Software

Systems Architecture

Hands-on Execution

Product Thinking

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Ownership

Cross-functional Collaboration

Job description

We are seeking an Embedded Systems Architect who is equally comfortable thinking at the architectural level and getting hands-on in the details. This is an opportunity for a highly capable engineer who brings experience across hardware/electrical engineering, embedded systems, embedded software, and system architecture and wants to have a meaningful impact on the future of the company's technology.

This is not a role for an architect who simply creates specifications and hands work off to others. We are a small, highly collaborative engineering organization, so the person in this role will operate across the full spectrum of product development. You will define the architecture, make technical decisions, prototype, design, troubleshoot, write and review code, work with hardware, collaborate with other engineers, and help bring products from concept through production.

The ideal candidate is an architect who executes—someone who can zoom out to see the entire system and then zoom in to solve the difficult technical problem sitting on the bench. You will have the opportunity to influence the architecture and technology roadmap for next-generation products while remaining deeply involved in the actual engineering work. If you enjoy building things, solving problems that don't have obvious answers, and seeing your ideas become real products, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact.

Who You Are

We're looking for someone who brings a rare combination of breadth and depth:

• Hardware / Electrical: You understand electronics at a level that allows you to participate meaningfully in circuit, processor, sensor, power, communications, and hardware-interface decisions.
• Embedded Systems: You understand how hardware, firmware, software, sensors, communications, and user interfaces come together to create a complete embedded product.
• Embedded Software / Firmware: You are comfortable getting into the code, whether that means writing firmware, developing drivers, debugging low-level issues, or reviewing and improving existing embedded software.
• Systems Architecture: You can take complex product requirements and translate them into a thoughtful, scalable system architecture.
• Hands‑On Execution: You don't stop at the architecture diagram. You build, prototype, test, troubleshoot, and iterate.
• Product Thinking: You understand that great engineering is about more than technology—it is about creating reliable products that solve real customer problems.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: You are naturally curious, resourceful, and comfortable operating without a playbook. You see problems as opportunities and are willing to roll up your sleeves to get things done.
• Ownership: You want to own outcomes, not just tasks. You take initiative, make decisions, and follow problems through to resolution.
• Impact: You want to work on technology that matters and be able to look back and say, “I helped build that.”

What You’ll Do

In this role, you will work across the entire embedded product lifecycle and may find yourself doing something different every day. Your responsibilities will include:

• Define the architecture for next-generation embedded products and platforms.
• Work across electrical hardware, embedded firmware, embedded software, sensors, communications, and system-level integration.
• Translate product requirements into practical system architectures and technical solutions.
• Make architecture and technology decisions while balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and time to market.
• Design and/or contribute to embedded hardware and electrical systems.
• Develop, modify, debug, and review embedded firmware and software.
• Work directly with microcontrollers, processors, sensors, communications interfaces, and peripheral devices.
• Build prototypes and proof-of-concept systems to validate new technologies and architectural approaches.
• Troubleshoot problems across hardware and software boundaries.
• Participate directly in schematic reviews, board bring-up, firmware development, debugging, testing, and system integration.
• Establish reusable platforms, interfaces, and development standards across products.
• Collaborate closely with other engineers rather than operating in functional silos.
• Take ideas from whiteboard -> prototype -> engineering validation -> production.
• Identify technical risks early and develop practical solutions.
• Help establish the long-term technology roadmap for embedded systems.
• Mentor and collaborate with engineers while remaining a hands‑on technical contributor.
• Work closely with product development, manufacturing, quality, service, and leadership to bring solutions to market.

A Small Team Means You Do It All

This is an environment where titles don't define the boundaries of your job. Because our engineering team is intentionally lean, everyone is expected to contribute beyond their traditional discipline. The Embedded Systems Architect may spend the morning discussing system architecture, the afternoon debugging firmware or bringing up hardware, and the next day building a prototype or solving a production issue. That's part of what makes this opportunity compelling. You won't be one small piece of a massive engineering organization. Your decisions will matter. Your work will be visible. And you will see the direct connection between your ideas and the products we deliver to customers. We're looking for someone who thrives in that environment—not someone who needs a large team and narrowly defined responsibilities around them.

The right person will approach this role with an entrepreneurial, builder's mindset. You are someone who:

• Sees opportunities where others see limitations.
• Is comfortable with ambiguity and figuring things out as you go.
• Doesn't wait for perfect requirements before getting started.
• Can make thoughtful decisions with incomplete information.
• Is willing to experiment, prototype, fail fast, and iterate.
• Takes ownership when something needs to get done.
• Enjoys building new capabilities rather than simply maintaining the status quo.
• Is motivated by the opportunity to create something meaningful.
• Wants their technical expertise to have a visible and lasting impact.