Sr. Embedded Software Engineer - Durham, NC area

You must be local to the area and able to work at our Durham office.

Nocturnal is a boutique product development partner focused on accelerating commercialization for early-stage medical device companies, particularly class II and class III, wearable, implantable, and lifesaving devices. The team combines deep technical expertise with a passion for solving complex engineering challenges to deliver groundbreaking medical innovations to patients worldwide.

Clients value working directly with hands‑on experts throughout the full development lifecycle, from concept through market readiness.

To learn more about Nocturnal, visit

The Sr. Embedded Software Engineer is a full‑time, on‑site role based in Durham, NC. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, and testing embedded software for complex class II and III medical devices, collaborating closely with systems, hardware, and quality teams.

Day‑to‑day activities include translating requirements into software architectures, writing and reviewing code, performing debugging and root‑cause analysis, and supporting verification and validation efforts within regulated development processes. The engineer contributes to documentation for design controls, participates in risk analysis and design reviews, and helps ensure compliance with relevant medical device standards. This position also mentors other engineers, supports continuous improvement of development practices, and works directly with client teams to align technical solutions with clinical and business needs.

• Professional experience developing embedded software in C/C++ for microcontroller‑based products, including direct work with peripherals such as SPI, I²C, and ADC.
• Experience shipping firmware for real‑time, resource‑constrained systems, including low‑power design for battery‑operated devices.
• Experience debugging complex embedded systems, including use of debuggers, logic analyzers, and other diagnostic tools.
• Solid software design capabilities, including architecture definition, modular design, and adherence to coding standards.
• Ability to translate system requirements into design documentation and communicate design decisions to hardware, mechanical, and non‑engineering stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills, with a focus on quality, traceability, and reliability in medical devices.
• Proficiency in software development practices, including version control, build systems (CMake, Make), and agile workflows.
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience developing software for regulated environments (e.g., IEC 62304, ISO 13485) or safety‑critical systems.
• Experience with BLE or other wireless connectivity.
• Experience implementing bootloaders and firmware update mechanisms (OTA or wired).
• Experience with embedded security: encryption, firmware signing, secure element integration.
• Proficiency in Python for build and test automation.