Firmware Engineer

SF Partners
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Today
£60,000 – £75,000 pa

Salary

£60,000 – £75,000 pa

Posted
14 Aug 2026 (Today)

This isn't an opportunity to simply maintain an established firmware platform.

It's an opportunity to help build one.

We are partnering with an exciting, entrepreneurial UK technology start-up developing an innovative, AI-enabled consumer product combining advanced mechanical, electrical and smart technology.

Founded by two ambitious entrepreneurs and recently backed by significant US investment, the business is now moving from product development into production, international growth and scale.

They are looking for a Senior Embedded Software Engineer who wants to join early, take ownership and help shape the technology as the business grows.

The opportunity

You'll own the firmware across two processors at the heart of the product:

  • Bare-metal C on a safety microcontroller
  • C++17 on an embedded-Linux module

You'll work across the full embedded stack, from drivers, peripherals and real-time control through to connectivity, OTA updates, telemetry and fleet management.

You'll work closely with electronics and engineering on board bring-up, debugging hardware and software together and taking the product from development into reliable, production-ready hardware.

This is a hands-on role with genuine technical ownership and plenty of opportunity to influence how things are built.

What you'll own

  • Bare-metal MCU firmware, including registers, interrupts and peripherals
  • Multithreaded C++17 applications on embedded Linux
  • Real-time state machines and deterministic timing
  • Device drivers and standard embedded buses
  • Board bring-up using schematics, datasheets, scopes, logic analysers and JTAG/SWD
  • Embedded Linux: systemd, networking, D-Bus, cross-compilation, Yocto and U-Boot
  • Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and power management
  • Error handling, logging and on-target/remote debugging
  • OTA updates, telemetry and fleet management
  • Secure boot, signed updates, encrypted communications and key management
  • CI, unit testing and disciplined software releases
  • Firmware architecture and practices suitable for a growing production fleet

Who we're looking for

You'll ideally have 5+ years of embedded software experience, working across two or more processor families.

Your background might be in consumer electronics, robotics, automotive, appliances, IoT, industrial technology or another complex engineered product environment.

You'll bring:

  • Strong bare-metal C and modern C++ experience
  • Embedded Linux and multithreaded application development
  • Experience with real-time systems and constrained hardware
  • Strong hardware bring-up and debugging skills
  • Experience with device drivers and embedded buses
  • Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and power management experience
  • Experience with Git, CI, unit testing and release processes
  • An understanding of OTA, telemetry and fleet management
  • Knowledge of embedded security and production firmware practices

A 2:1 or above degree in electronics, computer science or a related discipline is preferred, with Master's or PhD-level study welcome.

The qualifications and years above are a guide, not a gate. Exceptional candidates who can demonstrate the same level of ability will always be considered.

What you'll know

You'll ideally understand how to build firmware that is reliable, testable, secure and maintainable in production, including:

  • Embedded Linux, systemd, networking and D-Bus
  • Yocto and U-Boot
  • Real-time state machines and deterministic timing
  • Device drivers and hardware interfaces
  • OTA updates and fleet management
  • Secure boot, signed firmware and key management
  • Logging, diagnostics and remote debugging
  • Certification-bound development and change control

Renumeration

  • £60,000 - £75,000 basic salary
  • 10% bonus
  • BUPA Private Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Company phone and additional benefits.

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Firmware Engineer - Hardware Integration - Defence - Cambridge

Newton Colmore Cambridge, United Kingdom
On-site Clearance Required

Embedded Firmware Engineer

Cortech Talent Solutions Brislington, Bristol (county), BS4 4NF, United Kingdom
£40,000 – £60,000 pa On-site

Embedded Machine Learning Engineer

KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Edinburgh, United Kingdom
£60,000 – £70,000 pa

FPGA Firmware Electronics Engineer - Defence - Cambridge

Newton Colmore Cambridge, United Kingdom
On-site Clearance Required

Embedded Systems Engineer

Ascend Consulting Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 8NJ, United Kingdom
£35,000 – £65,000 pa Hybrid

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.