Principal Firmware Engineer

Overview
Compen Embedded is an early-stage startup headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, providing cutting-edge technological solutions to medical device startups driving neuroscience innovation across Europe and the United States. Our mission is to help them overcome firmware challenges and fast-track the delivery of life-changing breakthroughs.

The Role
As a Principal Firmware Engineer in a consulting capacity, you'll serve as a trusted technical advisor and hands-on expert for multiple medical device teams. You'll architect firmware, guide engineering decisions, and step into complex, high-stakes environments where reliability and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Your work will directly influence the safety, performance, and success of next-generation medical technologies.

This is an on-site role. To be considered, applicants must currently reside in the Netherlands and hold valid work authorization.

Responsibilities

Lead the architecture, design, and development of real-time firmware for Class III medical devices in modern C++

Act as a technical consultant to multiple client teams, helping them navigate firmware design, risk management, and regulatory expectations

Collaborate with cross-disciplinary (external) teams including hardware, systems engineering, neuroscience, and quality assurance

Ensure compliance with medical device standards (ISO 13485, IEC 62304, ISO 14971) and guide clients through best practices

Define and implement verification and validation strategies, including unit tests, integration tests, and traceability

Diagnose, debug, and resolve complex firmware issues in a structured, reproducible, and client-friendly manner

Mentor client engineering teams, conduct code reviews, and elevate engineering practices across organizations

Shape internal consulting methodologies, documentation standards, and long-term technical direction at Compen Embedded

Qualifications

Care deeply about patient outcomes and doing things the right way, even when nobody's watching

Hold a Master s/PhD degree in Computer Science

Bring extensive experience in embedded development, ideally within regulated or safety-critical environments

Have strong consulting instincts: clear communication, expectation-setting, and the ability to build trust quickly

Are comfortable working across multiple projects and adapting to different engineering cultures and maturity levels

Have deep familiarity with microcontrollers, low-power design, real-time constraints, and hardware-software integration

Can read and reason about circuit diagrams across both digital and analog domains

Have hands-on experience with unit testing, documentation, and working in accordance with FDA/CE guidelines

Thrive in a Unix CLI environment, wielding tools like Neovim, tmux, and Docker with speed and precision

Have experience in startups (abroad), regulated environments, or connected medical devices

Enjoy the autonomy and ownership that come with consulting

Recruitment agencies are kindly requested not to respond to this vacancy.

#J-18808-Ljbffr