<p>An Embedded Systems Engineer designs, develops and tests firmware and embedded software for electronic products. The role requires close collaboration with hardware engineers and system architects to deliver reliable, real-time solutions across consumer and industrial markets. Candidates should be experienced in C/C++, RTOS, hardware debugging and validation.</p>
<p>This job description outlines the responsibilities, qualifications and expectations for an Embedded Systems Engineer. It is intended as a template for HR, recruiters and staffing agencies seeking top candidates for embedded design roles.</p>
<h2>Embedded Systems Engineer Job Profile</h2>
<p>The Embedded Systems Engineer develops firmware and embedded software for microcontroller and microprocessor-based systems. They work across the full product lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through to integration, verification and production support.</p>
<p>This profile suits engineers who can bridge hardware and software, diagnose complex system issues and deliver optimised, maintainable code for constrained environments.</p>
<h2>Embedded Systems Engineer Job Description</h2>
<p>An Embedded Systems Engineer will be responsible for designing and implementing firmware for real-time and low-power products. Typical tasks include writing device drivers, developing application-level code, integrating communication stacks such as TCP/IP, CAN, or BLE, and ensuring deterministic behaviour under constrained resources. Engineers will collaborate with electrical design, testing, and product teams to ensure system-level performance and reliability.</p>
<p>The role demands hands-on experience with embedded toolchains, version control and continuous integration. Candidates must be adept at debugging with oscilloscopes, logic analysers and JTAG or SWD debuggers. They should also be familiar with memory management, bootloaders, and peripheral interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, and ADC. Where applicable, responsibilities extend to safety-critical and secure development practices, documentation and regulatory compliance.</p>
<p>Embedded Systems Engineers are expected to optimise code for performance and power consumption, participate in design reviews and mentor junior engineers. Strong problem-solving, clear technical communication, and the ability to produce unit and integration tests are essential. The successful candidate will help deliver products on schedule while maintaining high quality and manufacturability standards.</p>
<h2>Embedded Systems Engineer Duties and Responsibilities</h2>
<ul>
<li>Design, implement and test embedded firmware in C and C++ for microcontrollers and embedded processors</li>
<li>Develop and maintain device drivers, middleware and application code</li>
<li>Integrate and validate communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, BLE and TCP IP</li>
<li>Work with RTOS environments and design deterministic task scheduling</li>
<li>Perform hardware bring up and debug using oscilloscopes, logic analysers and JTAG/SWD</li>
<li>Optimise system performance, memory usage and power consumption</li>
<li>Create and maintain technical documentation, specifications and test plans</li>
<li>Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including hardware, test and product management</li>
<li>Implement secure coding practices and support regulatory compliance where relevant</li>
<li>Develop automated build and test scripts and support continuous integration</li>
<li>Conduct code reviews and mentor junior engineers</li>
<li>Provide field support and resolve production issues as required</li>
</ul>
<h2>Embedded Systems Engineer Requirements and Qualifications</h2>
<ul>
<li>Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering or related discipline</li>
<li>Proven experience in embedded firmware development using C and C++</li>
<li>Experience with RTOS such as FreeRTOS, ThreadX or similar</li>
<li>Strong knowledge of microcontrollers, peripherals and hardware interfaces</li>
<li>Practical experience of debugging tools: JTAG, SWD, logic analysers and oscilloscopes</li>
<li>Familiarity with communication protocols: SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, BLE, Ethernet</li>
<li>Understanding of bootloaders, device tree concepts and memory management</li>
<li>Experience with unit testing, integration testing and test automation</li>
<li>Knowledge of version control systems such as Git and continuous integration pipelines</li>
<li>Experience in low-power design and optimisation is desirable</li>
<li>Excellent analytical, problem-solving and written communication skills</li>
<li>Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and manage priorities</li>
</ul>