Embedded Software & Firmware recruitment
Embedded and firmware engineering sits at the boundary of hardware and software, close enough to the metal that the work is interrupt-driven design, RTOS scheduling and driver-level debugging with an oscilloscope in hand rather than just a debugger attached.
The distance between someone who has written application code and someone who has brought up a board from a blank bootloader is the distance that decides this hire, and we take the brief at that level. It is also one of the more contract-heavy disciplines we cover, since a business often needs a particular RTOS, wireless stack or chip vendor SDK for a defined project rather than a permanent headcount.
Recent work
Markem-Imaje · Embedded C++ Software Engineer
Markem-Imaje: One Embedded Role, Two Hires
1 → 2 hires made instead of 1
What this covers
- Bare-metal & RTOS firmware
- Embedded Linux / Yocto
- Bootloader & low-level driver development
- Embedded C/C++
- Wireless & connectivity stacks (BLE, LoRa, Zigbee)
- Functional safety (ISO 26262 / IEC 61508)
Roles we place
What makes a strong Embedded Software & Firmware candidate
The strongest embedded candidates can point to work that shipped, not just prototypes: production firmware running on real hardware, ideally with some exposure to the debugging that happens after a board leaves the lab, field returns, intermittent faults, timing bugs that only show up under load. Comfort reading a schematic and using an oscilloscope or logic analyser is a good signal that a candidate has actually worked at the hardware boundary rather than purely in an IDE. Depth in a specific RTOS, toolchain or communication protocol usually outweighs a long list of languages on a CV, since ramp-up time on an unfamiliar embedded stack is real. For safety-critical or regulated sectors, direct experience working to a specific standard (ISO 26262, DO-178C, IEC 62304) is close to a hard requirement rather than a nice-to-have, since the process discipline it demands is difficult to pick up on the job.
Where the talent sits
Embedded talent is more evenly spread across the UK than FPGA design, with strong pockets around Cambridge (semiconductor and IoT), the Thames Valley, and automotive/industrial clusters in the Midlands, alongside the usual defence-sector demand in the South West and South Coast. It's also one of the more remote-friendly R&D disciplines, provided a candidate has the right development boards and lab equipment at home.
Typical hiring timeline
For contract briefs we typically go from brief to contractor offered in about 5 days. That's the company-wide figure; niche or cleared roles take longer.
Live Embedded Software & Firmware roles
Embedded Software Engineer - BSP
Cambridgeshire · £70,000 per year
Senior Embedded Software Engineer
Hampshire · £55,000 – £65,000 per year
Embedded Software & Firmware hiring: frequently asked questions
Hiring in Embedded Software & Firmware?
Tell us what the role needs to do. We'll come back with questions about the work, and an honest read on what the brief will take.