Firmware Architect

Telit Cinterion; North Carolina; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Telit Cinterion seeks a hands-on Firmware Architect to lead firmware architecture and technical planning for IoT solutions across Telit’s product portfolio and customer programs.

You will define scalable firmware architectures for MCU-based embedded products, guide firmware execution from a technical perspective, and translate customer requirements into clear technical direction for development teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Computer Engineering, CS, or related field.
• 7–10+ years of embedded firmware development, shipped IoT devices.
• Experience defining firmware architecture across BSP, HAL, drivers, and services.
• Experience with cellular modem integration, GNSS, Wi‑Fi, BLE, and interfaces (UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, USB).
• Experience with secure boot, signed firmware, and secure update mechanisms.
• Strong customer-facing communication to translate needs into requirements.
• Understanding MQTT/HTTPs, TLS, and device-to-cloud patterns.

Responsibilities

• Own firmware architecture for Telit Cinterion IoT products and customer programs, across cellular devices.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership for firmware design, bring-up, debugging, integration, and root-cause analysis.
• Translate customer requirements and field issues into firmware requirements and architecture direction.
• Guide internal and partner engineering through architecture docs, interface definitions, reviews, and guidance.
• Architect wireless and device-to-cloud capabilities (cellular, Wi‑Fi, BLE, GNSS, OTA/FOTA, diagnostics, telemetry).
• Define embedded security architecture for devices (secure boot, signed firmware, secure update, key management, secure storage).
• Drive firmware platform reuse and maintainability via modular architecture, drivers, BSP/HAL standards, and logging.
• Mentor and, where applicable, manage firmware and validation engineers.

Skills

Embedded firmware

Firmware architecture

C/C++

Technical leadership

Customer-facing comms

Security architecture

Device-to-cloud

Debugging

Education

Electrical Engineering

Computer Engineering

Computer Science

Tools

Yocto/OpenWrt

Linux BSPs

Kernel drivers

UART

SPI

I2C

Job description

Telit Cinterion is seeking a hands-on Firmware Architect to lead firmware architecture and technical planning for IoT Solutions products across Telit’s connected device portfolio and customer-specific programs. This role will define scalable firmware architectures for MCU-based embedded products, guide firmware execution from a technical perspective, and translate customer requirements into clear technical direction for the development teams.

The ideal candidate combines deep embedded firmware expertise with customer-facing communication skills, strong architecture judgment, and the ability to lead engineers through complex tradeoffs involving cost, schedule, power, performance, security, manufacturability, and long-term maintainability. The role is expected to be highly hands-on and may include direct reports depending on final title and candidate experience.

Objectives & Responsibilities

• Own firmware architecture for Telit Cinterion IoT products and customer programs, primarily across cellular IOT Devices including asset trackers, telematics, embedded modems, gateways and routers.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership for firmware design, implementation, bring-up, debugging, integration, and root-cause analysis in embedded C/C++ environments.
• Translate customer requirements, field issues, and technical scoping inputs into clear firmware requirements and architecture direction.
• Guide internal and partner engineering teams through architecture documents, interface definitions, design reviews, implementation guidance, and acceptance criteria.
• Architect wireless and device-to-cloud capabilities involving cellular, Wi‑Fi, BLE, GNSS, MQTT/HTTP(S), OTA/FOTA, diagnostics, telemetry, and device management.
• Define embedded security architecture for connected devices, including secure boot, signed firmware, secure update, key management, secure storage, and hardware root-of-trust options.
• Drive firmware platform reuse and maintainability through modular architecture, common drivers and services, BSP/HAL standards, boot/update frameworks, diagnostics, logging, and coding practices.
• Partner with Hardware, Product Management, Program Management, Certification, Manufacturing, Technical Support, Sales/FAE, and validation teams to deliver reliable, secure, production-ready products.
• Mentor and, where applicable, manage firmware and validation engineers, raising technical standards through design reviews, code reviews, best practices, and cross-functional technical leadership.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 7–10+ years of embedded firmware development experience, ideally including multiple shipped connected-device, wireless, telematics, tracking, router, gateway, industrial IoT, or embedded product programs.
• Proven experience defining firmware architecture across BSP, HAL, drivers, middleware, application services, boot/update flows, diagnostics, and device-management interfaces.
• Experience with cellular modem integration, AT commands, GNSS, Wi‑Fi, BLE, sensors, and embedded communication interfaces such as UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, RS232, RS485, Ethernet, and USB.
• Experience with secure boot, bootloaders, signed firmware images, firmware update mechanisms, key management, secure storage, and secure debug/service access.
• Strong customer-facing communication skills, with the ability to translate customer needs into firmware requirements and explain tradeoffs to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of device-to-cloud communication patterns, including MQTT, HTTP/HTTPS, TCP/IP, secure provisioning, device identity, telemetry, remote configuration, and firmware update workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with distributed or offshore engineering teams, including the ability to produce clear requirements, architecture documentation, technical handoff packages, and review feedback.
• Ability to lead by influence, mentor engineers, make architecture decisions, and remain hands‑on when required to resolve critical technical issues.
• Experience with embedded Linux, Linux BSPs, device trees, kernel drivers, Yocto/OpenWrt, routing/networking, gateway firmware, or Linux‑based edge devices. Linux experience is highly desirable.

About Telit Cinterion

Telit Cinterion, a leader and pioneer in IoT innovation, is the largest and most cyber‑secure Western provider of end-to-end IoT solutions, designed to reduce time-to-market and costs for businesses. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio encompassing custom-designed, ready-for-market connected devices and the industry’s broadest range of enterprise-grade wireless communication and positioning modules. Offerings extend to essential services such as IoT SIM plans and management, plus advanced edge‑cloud software and data orchestration tools for processing and utilizing IoT data. Telit Cinterion also provides complete IoT and industrial IoT platforms, enabling the development and deployment of complex connected solutions. Focusing on security and reliability, the company delivers award‑winning IoT solutions, modules, and services trusted by top global brands.