Embedded Systems Engineer

W. W. Grainger; Santa Ana (CA); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

6 PTO days + 6 holidays

6% 401(k) contribution

Tuition reimbursement

Student loan refinancing

Discounts

Maternity leave

Job summary

W. W. Grainger, Inc. is seeking an embedded software engineer to design Linux-based real-time sensing and device control. You will integrate hardware with firmware, develop drivers and peripherals, and ensure secure, reliable communications across edge devices.

The role requires 5+ years in C/C++, Python, and Linux, plus experience in CI/CD, edge deployment, and OTA updates. Hybrid work in Santa Ana, CA is offered.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 5+ years of software development with C/C++, Python; Linux user space and kernel fundamentals preferred.
• Experience with low-level interfacing and device bring-up; knowledge of I2C/SPI/UART.
• Familiarity with networking protocols (TCP/IP, MQTT, HTTPs); secure-by-default practices.
• Proven ability to work across cross-functional teams in an Agile environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement Linux software for real-time sensing and device control.
• Integrate hardware and firmware; write device drivers and interfaces.
• Build and harden device communications (TCP/UDP, HTTPs, MQTT, gRPC).
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and containerize edge services; support OTA updates.
• Apply secure- by-default practices and perform logging/telemetry for remote diagnostics.

Skills

C/C++

Python

Linux

Embedded

Networking

DevOps

CI/CD

Security

Telemetry

Scripting

Education

B.S./M.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related

Tools

Yocto/OpenEmbedded

Buildroot

CMake/GNU Make

Docker/Podman

GitHub Actions

Job description

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W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America and Japan. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working®by serving more than4.6 million customersworldwide with maintenance, repair andoperating(MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customerexpertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported2025 revenue of$17.9 billion. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $111,200.00 – $185,400.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 10%, based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Help build robust edge software and integrate devices cleanly into our cloud ecosystem. This is an individual contributor role with ~50% focus on embedded/edge, plus meaningful collaboration across the edge-to-cloud pipeline.

This position is not eligible for any form of sponsorship now or in the future. Individuals requiring sponsorship (e.g. OPT or H1B visa status) should not apply. Only individuals authorized to work in the United States now and for the foreseeable future will be considered for this position.

The position is hybrid work location at our Santa Ana, CA office.

You Will

• Design & implement Linux software(C/C++, Python) for real-time sensing and device control of hardware.
• Integrate hardware & firmware: bring-up boards, write/maintain device drivers, and interface with peripherals (GPIO/UART/I²C/SPI/ADC/DAC).
• Build reliable connectivity: implement and harden device communications using TCP/UDP, HTTP(S)/REST, MQTT, and/or gRPC/Protobuf.
• Harden for production: performance tuning, resource/memory optimization, and fault-tolerant behaviors for large device fleets.
• Ship with discipline: contribute to CI/CD pipelines (build, test, package), containerize services for edge deployment, and support OTA releases.
• Secure the stack: apply secure-by-default practices (TLS, certs/identity, secure boot, signed updates, key handling).
• Test & observe: author unit/integration tests, support HIL testing, add logging/metrics for remote diagnostics and telemetry.
• Collaboratewith electrical, mechanical, and cloud/backend teams to deliver features end-to-end on schedule.

You Have

• B.S./M.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related.
• 5+ yearsrelevant software development experience withC/C++, Python. Some of this must include Linux experience as well as user space, and ideally kernel, fundamentals.
• Low-level interfacing experience: digital I/O, UART, I²C, SPI; comfort reading schematics and datasheets.
• Networking fundamentals and hands-on protocol work (TCP/IP, sockets; familiarity with HTTP(S), MQTT or similar).
• Strong CS foundations: concurrency/threading, memory management, OS concepts, data structures.
• DevOps fluency for edge: Git workflows; experience with CI systems (e.g., GitHub Actions/GitLab CI/Jenkins) to automate build & test; basic Docker/Podman usage to package edge apps.
• Effective cross-functional communication; clear technical writing.
• Embedded Linux distro/tooling: Yocto/OpenEmbedded or Buildroot; cross-compilers, CMake/GNU Make, toolchains.
• Driver/kernel experience (modules, device trees) and board bring-up.
• Real-time concepts: scheduling/latency, multi-threaded design; RTOS exposure (e.g., FreeRTOS) is a plus.
• Edge orchestration exposure: k3s/microk8s or interaction withKubernetes-managed services; container registries and image versioning.
• Testing depth: GoogleTest/CTest, fuzz/static analysis (e.g., clang-tidy), HIL or emulator-based CI.
• Securitydepth: secure boot chains, firmware signing/rollback protection, certificate provisioning/rotation, secrets handling.
• Telemetry/observability: device logging, metrics, and remote diagnostics; familiarity with cloud monitoring/alerting patterns.
• Scripting for automation and data handling (Python/Bash).
• Agile delivery and tracking (Jira), code review culture, and documentation habits.
• Will and able to work on sitein Orange County, CA.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.