Lead Embedded Software Engineer

Embedded Software Lead - Med Tech
Bristol (3-4 days on-site)
£75,000 + £20,000-£25,000 bonus + excellent benefits

KO2's client is an innovative and fast-growing technology business developing advanced wearable devices within a medically regulated environment. They are now seeking an Embedded Software Medical Lead to play a critical role in shaping the next generation of their products, although being narrowly focused on highly specialised or niche medical systems.

This is a leadership position within the R&D function, sitting alongside mechanical leadership and taking ownership of embedded software at a system level.

The Opportunity

You'll act as the system-level lead across embedded software and hardware, driving design, integration, and validation of both current and next-generation wearable products.

This role blends hands-on engineering, technical leadership, and cross-functional collaboration, giving you real influence over product direction without being confined to purely regulatory work.

What You'll Be Doing

Contribute to early-stage innovation, exploring new technologies in embedded systems and wearable applications
Develop proof-of-concepts and functional prototypes
Identify risks early and shape product direction through informed engineering decisions
Support usability testing and concept validation
Lead system design across software and hardware for new product development
Own design control, risk management, and verification/validation activities
Provide technical oversight and challenge solutions to ensure high-quality delivery
Investigate complex technical issues and support resolution of field challenges
Drive continuous improvements in performance, reliability, and cost
Work closely with quality and cross-functional teams

What KO2's client is looking for

Strong background in embedded software development (ideally with some hardware exposure)
Experience working on physical products (not purely cloud or desktop systems)
Background in a regulated environment (medical, safety-critical, or similar preferred, but not overly specialised)
Solid understanding of full product lifecycle, from concept through to launch and improvement

Experience with design control, testing, and documentation
Strong communicator with the ability to lead and influence

Technical skills:

Experience in C or C++ (or similar embedded languages)
Understanding of electronics or hardware integration (beneficial, not essential)
Awareness of cybersecurity and safety considerations

This role would suit someone who:

Wants to step into or continue in a technical leadership role
Enjoys working on tangible, real-world products
Prefers broad engineering ownership rather than being siloed
Has some exposure to regulated environments but doesn't want an overly compliance-heavy role.

Salary and Benefits

£75,000 base salary
On-target bonus of £20,000-£25,000
Strong benefits package
A key leadership role in a growing R&D team
The opportunity to work on cutting-edge wearable technology with real-world impact

If you're an embedded software engineer ready to lead at a systems level-and want to work on innovative wearable products in a collaborative, fast-moving environment-this could be a great next step