Principal Embedded Software Engineer

Principal Embedded Software Engineer - Madison, Wisconsin - up to $185k

I am working with a leading US manufacturer of professional audio and RF equipment trusted across film, broadcast, live events, and other mission-critical environments. I’m hiring an Embedded Software Engineer to take a leading role in the design and delivery of complex embedded systems for next-generation, high-reliability products.

This is a hands-on senior role suited to someone who enjoys owning substantial pieces of an embedded system, working closely with hardware and FPGA engineers, and driving designs from concepts through production.

• Design, develop, and maintain embedded software in C and C++ for professional audio and RF products
• Lead major firmware or embedded software components from architecture and implementation through release and long-term support.
• Collaborate closely with FPGA and hardware teams to define interfaces, integrate software with FPGA logic, and optimize system-level performance.
• Develop and debug low-level software including device drivers, boot processes, and hardware abstraction layers.
• Work across embedded Linux and RTOS-based systems, balancing real-time behaviour, reliability, and performance.
• Support board bring-up, debugging, and validation using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG-based tools.
• Participate in system architecture discussions and contribute to technical decision-making
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers on the team.

• Significant professional experience developing embedded software in C and C++ for production systems.
• Strong hands-on experience with embedded Linux and real-time operating systems.
• Deep understanding of low-level device programming, hardware interfaces, and real-time data handling.
• Experience integrating embedded software with FPGA-based systems, including register-level communication and performance optimization.
• Proven ability to take ownership of complex technical work and drive it through multiple development phases.

• Experience with Xilinx FPGAs or Micro Blaze-based systems.
• Prior experience in professional audio, RF, or other high-reliability or signal-processing domains.
• Background in improving system performance, boot time, or overall reliability.
• Experience mentoring or acting as a technical lead within an engineering team.