Lead Firmware Engineer

A UK-based engineering company is looking for a Lead Embedded Software Engineer to take ownership of embedded software development for their next generation of products.

This is a senior, hands-on role combining technical leadership with deep embedded development, working across the full product lifecycle.

The Role

You will lead a small team of engineers while remaining hands-on, responsible for:

* Embedded C & C++ development across real-time systems

* Owning and evolving software architecture

* Leading delivery of firmware from concept through to production

* Debugging complex system-level issues across hardware and software

* Defining and improving development, testing, and release processes

This is not a pure management role, you’ll still be heavily involved in solving technical challenges and writing code.

What You’ll Be Working On

* Real-time systems (RTOS + some bare-metal)

* Communication between system components

* Performance-critical embedded environments

* Systems that are deployed at scale in the real world

What They’re Looking For

* Strong experience in embedded C & C++

* Proven experience with RTOS and real-time systems

* Experience owning or contributing to software architecture

* Comfortable working closely with hardware and debugging issues

* Previous experience leading or mentoring engineers

Nice to Have

* Experience improving development processes / DevOps

* Exposure to modelling tools (e.g. MATLAB / Simulink)

* Interest in modern tooling (e.g. AI-assisted development)

Package

* Salary circa £80k–£85k

* Bonus + pension

* Flexible working (including 9-day fortnight)

* Hybrid working

* Strong engineering culture and product focus