Software Engineering Manager (Embedded Systems)

Watchfire Signs, LLC.; Danville (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with Employer Match

Vacation

Company Paid Life/ADD

Medical

Vision

Job summary

A leading company in digital signage seeks a Software Engineering Manager to oversee a team developing embedded systems software. You will guide technical direction, project management, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate offers a decade of experience in software engineering, adept in C++, embedded systems, and Agile practices. Key responsibilities include mentoring engineers and driving innovative solutions across diverse technical projects. This is a full-time position located in Danville, Illinois, offering a competitive salary and benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of software engineering experience building embedded systems software.
• Experience with embedded operating systems like Windows and Linux.
• Proficiency in communication protocols like Ethernet and Serial.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of software engineers specialized in embedded system development.
• Project management and participation in architecture and design of embedded applications.
• Research hardware trends and work with Electrical Engineering on micro-controller solutions.

Skills

Embedded systems software development

C++ programming

Agile methodologies

Object Oriented Design/Analysis

Version control (Git)

Communication protocols

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering

Tools

Jira

Jenkins

Job description

Software Engineering Manager (Embedded Systems)

Job Category: Software Engineering

Requisition Number: SOFTW001272

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• Posted : March 17, 2026
• Full-Time

Locations

Showing 1 location

• Pay or shift range: $130,000 USD to $160,000 USD
  The estimated range is the budgeted amount for this position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications and other job‑related reasons.

Description

Summary

This Software Engineering Manager position will be part of the software engineering team that builds the next generation of our flagship software products for the digital signage industry. The person will manage a team of high caliber engineers and will be deeply involved in activities relating to research, design, development, test, and maintenance of software products and solutions across multiple technical projects. It requires a broad background of technical and process knowledge, with experience in code reviews, unit testing, revision control, build management, etc. This position provides expert guidance, drives decision making, and supports the software engineering team in various technical and functional aspects of research, development of new products, and maintenance of existing products.

A successful candidate will be a strong team player who is able to work across multiple functions and disciplines. The candidate should be self-directed and have experience and knowledge of software design, coding, and testing methodologies. Though the focus for this position will be a hands‑on manager for designing and developing embedded systems running on micro‑controllers, there will be opportunities to work on user facing web and mobile applications. Our product software is a critical differentiator in our market, and we take great pride in our in‑house products developed entirely by this team, from embedded systems to exceptional user facing GUI applications.

Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of software engineers specialized in embedded system development.
• Project management, facilitation and participation in architecture, design, developments and maintenance of embedded applications for our content playback sub‑system.
• Research hardware trends and work with Electrical Engineering to arrive at the next generation of micro‑controllers that are cost effective and performant.
• Help create and review system and software requirements.
• Work with stakeholders in R&D, Operations, Sales, and Marketing to collect requirements.
• Organize and participate in design reviews.
• Help foster good software engineering practices and mentor junior engineers.
• Encourage thorough code reviews and unit testing.
• Improve branch management, revision control, and build management.
• Agile development, Software documentation and configuration management.
• Review test cases used to perform verification and validation of software. Work closely with the QA team.
• Own the data gathering and assist in troubleshooting of products under design or returned/reported from the field.
• Involvement in all aspects of the software engineering process.
• Follow relevant company procedures and help create and maintain relevant documentation.

Required Education/Qualification:

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of software engineering experience building embedded systems software.
• Experience working on embedded systems with C++ as the primary programming platform.
• Experience with embedded operating systems – Windows on x86, Linux in ARM and x86.
• Additionally, QT, Video, and Security protocols would be ideal.
• Proficiency in communication protocols (Ethernet and Serial specifically). Understanding the OSI model is a plus.
• Experience with version control software (preferably Git), Continuous Integration Build systems (preferably Jenkins), project management tools (like Jira) and automated testing tools.
• Broad experience in Object Oriented Design/Analysis (OOD/OOA). Solid understanding of design languages such as UML will be a plus.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills.

Other ideal skills include:

• A year or two for functional management experience is a plus.
• Knowledge of hardware architecture – micro controllers, SOCs etc.
• FPGA programming.
• Experience programming in Python (used as a hardware testing tool or hardware simulator/emulator).
• Experience with image processing and rendering algorithms.
• Familiarity with Agile product development methodology (Scrum in particular) is a plus.
• Exposure to cloud services like AWS or Amazon will be an added plus.
• Medical
• Vision
• Company Paid Life/ADD
• Voluntary Life/ADD
• 401k with Employer Match
• Vacation
• Personal Time

Watchfire is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs.

Legal authorization to work in the US required. We will not consider candidates who need sponsorship, now or in the future, to be legally employed in the US. No H1B, OPT, CPT or other “temporary work authorization” candidates will be considered.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.