Principal Embedded Software Engineer

The Home Depot; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Home Depot seeks an Embedded Software Principal to lead architecture, development, and delivery of embedded software for AMRs and related robotic platforms. You’ll drive real-time control, navigation, sensing, safety, and hardware integration in warehouse environments.

As the technical authority for embedded systems, you’ll mentor engineers, define standards, and partner with Robotics, Electrical, Mechanical, QA, and Product teams to ensure reliable operation and scalable deployments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field.
• 8+ years of embedded software development experience.
• 3+ years of technical leadership or lead engineering experience.
• Experience developing software for mobile robotic systems.
• Strong proficiency in C and C++.
• Experience with embedded Linux systems.
• Experience debugging hardware/software interactions.
• Strong understanding of real-time systems and concurrency.
• Experience with software architecture and system design.
• Experience working with an RTOS.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the embedded software architecture for robotic platforms.
• Establish engineering standards, coding guidelines, testing requirements, and development processes.
• Lead technical design reviews and architecture discussions.
• Mentor embedded software engineers and provide technical guidance.
• Drive technical decision-making across robotics and platform initiatives.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering leadership on technology roadmaps.
• Design, develop, and maintain embedded software running on robotic platforms.
• Develop software for robot motion control, navigation, sensor fusion, power management, communications, diagnostics, and safety systems.
• Implement robust software using modern engineering practices.
• Optimize software performance for real-time and resource-constrained environments.
• Develop software supporting autonomous robot operation in warehouse and industrial environments.
• Integrate Lidar, cameras, IMUs, OTA updates, safety sensors, motor controllers, battery management, and wireless systems.
• Collaborate with robotics engineers on navigation and autonomy features.
• Support fleet-scale deployment and reliability.
• Partner with Electrical and Mechanical teams during hardware development.
• Develop drivers and interfaces for embedded peripherals and custom hardware.
• Participate in board bring-up and hardware validation.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware/software integration issues.
• Support prototype development and production releases.
• Design and implement software operating under real-time constraints.
• Design systems with fault tolerance and graceful degradation.
• Implement monitoring, diagnostics, and recovery mechanisms.
• Support safety-related development activities.
• Conduct failure mode analysis and risk assessments.
• Ensure operational robustness in production environments.
• Define testing strategies for embedded systems.
• Support automated testing and hardware-in-the-loop validation.
• Partner with QA and Simulation teams to validate robotic behavior.
• Develop tools to improve testability and diagnostics.
• Participate in release certification activities.

Skills

C/C++

Real-time systems

Concurrency

Software architecture

System design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer/Electrical Engineering, CS, Robotics

Tools

Zephyr RTOS

OpenWRT

Embedded Linux

Job description

Position Summary

The Embedded Software Principle is responsible for the architecture, development, and delivery of embedded software systems that power autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and related robotic platforms. This role leads the design and implementation of real-time software controlling robot motion, navigation, sensing, communications, safety systems, and hardware integration. The Embedded Software Principle serves as the technical authority for embedded systems within the robotics organization and works closely with Robotics, Controls, Electrical, Mechanical, Software Platform, QA, and Product teams to ensure reliable operation in demanding warehouse and industrial environments.

Req187576

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Define and maintain the embedded software architecture for robotic platforms.
• Establish engineering standards, coding guidelines, testing requirements, and development processes.
• Lead technical design reviews and architecture discussions.
• Mentor embedded software engineers and provide technical guidance.
• Drive technical decision-making across robotics and platform initiatives.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering leadership on technology roadmaps.

Embedded Software Development

• Design, develop, and maintain embedded software running on robotic platforms.
• Develop software for:
  • Robot motion control and navigation systems
  • Sensor fusion
  • Power management
  • Communications
  • Diagnostics
  • Safety systems
• Implement robust and maintainable software using modern engineering practices.
• Optimize software performance for real-time and resource-constrained environments.

Mobile Robotics Systems

• Develop software supporting autonomous robot operation in warehouse and industrial environments.
• Support integration of:
  • Lidar systems
  • Cameras
  • IMUs
  • OTA Updates
  • Safety sensors
  • Motor controllers
  • Battery management systems
  • Wireless communication systems (4g)
• Collaborate with robotics engineers on navigation and autonomy features.
• Support fleet-scale deployment and operational reliability.

Hardware Integration

• Partner with Electrical and Mechanical Engineering teams during hardware development.
• Develop drivers and interfaces for embedded peripherals and custom hardware.
• Participate in board bring-up and hardware validation activities.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware/software integration issues.
• Support prototype development and production releases.

Reliability & Functional Safety

• Design and implement software operating under real-time constraints.
• Design systems with fault tolerance and graceful degradation capabilities.
• Implement monitoring, diagnostics, and recovery mechanisms.
• Support safety-related development activities.
• Conduct failure mode analysis and risk assessments.
• Ensure operational robustness in production environments.

Verification & Validation

• Define testing strategies for embedded systems.
• Support automated testing and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation.
• Partner with QA and Simulation teams to validate robotic behavior.
• Develop tools to improve testability and diagnostics.
• Participate in release certification activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field.
• 8+ years of embedded software development experience.
• 3+ years of technical leadership or lead engineering experience.
• Experience developing software for mobile robotic systems.
• Strong proficiency in C and C++.
• Experience with embedded Linux systems.
• Experience debugging hardware/software interactions.
• Strong understanding of real-time systems and concurrency.
• Experience with software architecture and system design.
• Experience working with an RTOS.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).
• Experience in warehouse automation, logistics, industrial automation, or autonomous vehicles.
• Familiarity with navigation, localization, and sensor fusion concepts.
• Experience with safety-critical or mission-critical systems.
• Experience supporting deployed robotic fleets.
• Experience working in Agile development environments.
• Experience working with Zephyr RTOS & OpenWRT