Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Allient Inc. is in growth mode and currently seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to join our team in Rochester, New York!

The Senior Embedded Software Engineer researches, designs, and develops embedded software systems in collaboration with hardware product development. This role combines deep technical leadership, product ownership, and hands-on embedded software development, leading the architecture and implementation of complex embedded motion control systems. The role requires a high degree of independence and leadership in complex projects, including management of the full software development lifecycle, contribution to technology strategy, on-time software delivery, mentorship of junior engineers, and serving as a technical and/or product leader for assigned software platforms and product lines.

Responsibilities:

Develop Embedded Servo Drive Controls

• Design, implement, and optimize embedded motion control, servo, and I/O systems to meet aggressive performance, determinism, and reliability requirements.
• Own critical subsystems within larger product architectures.
• Serve as a technical authority for EtherCAT and real-time fieldbus architectures.
• Lead the design and implementation of high-performance communication stacks, synchronization strategies, and distributed systems between controllers and drives.
• Lead integration and optimization of multiple industrial protocols. Ensure robust interoperability with third-party systems and controllers.

Architect and Develop System and Product Software Architectures

• Contribute to and own portions of system-level architecture for embedded platforms, spanning firmware, real-time OS, communication layers, and hardware/firmware boundaries.
• Translate high-level architectural direction into robust subsystem designs that scale across products.
• Research and integrate new technologies to enhance product capabilities.
• Coordinate technologies with industry partners and vendors; interface with vendors to select/customize purchased software, support programs, and hardware such as single-board computers.
• Investigate and resolve software issues, implementing enhancements and optimizations.

Manage Full Software Development Lifecycle

• Oversee all phases of software development (design, coding, testing, documentation, deployment, and maintenance).
• Create and maintain verification and regression tests for all aspects of the design of developed products.
• Manage projects independently, adapting to complexity and scale.
• Support a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the team, engaging in advanced training and professional development initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure cohesive system design and support the alignment of software development projects with organizational goals and product roadmaps.
• Adhere to best practices in software development and documentation, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Stay updated with emerging technologies and methodologies to contribute to efficiencies and competitive advantages in software engineering processes.

Provide Technical Leadership & Strategy

• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior engineers.
• Contribute to technology roadmaps and strategic planning for software development.
• Lead efforts in continuous improvement, innovation, and best practices.
• Lead and actively participate in all phases of the product lifecycle—architecture, implementation, review, documentation, testing, release, and long-term maintenance.
• Own complex problem investigations in the field and drive root-cause analysis and systemic improvements.
• Support coordination across teams, including hardware, QA, and product management.
• As a Technical Leader, provide technical direction, work coordination, mentoring, and oversight for contributing engineers on assigned projects, products, or initiatives (as assigned).
• As a Product Leader, take ownership of a specific product line’s software development, documentation, testing, maintenance, quality, and support (as assigned).

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of professional experience in embedded software/firmware development.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex embedded systems or product architectures in production environments.

Technical Skills Required:

• Expert-level experience with embedded systems architecture, design and real-time programming.
• Expert-level proficiency in C / C++, including coding standards and optimization techniques.
• Strong experience in debugging deterministic real-time systems with kHz control loops or faster.
• Knowledge of, or demonstrated ability to rapidly learn and apply, EtherCAT protocols and industrial fieldbus technologies and their applications (CANopen, Modbus/TCP, and Ethernet/IP).
• Proficiency with Windows-based development environments and standard engineering computing tools.
• Proficiency with embedded software development environments, including toolchains, version control, build systems, software quality tools, and agile development practices.
• Hands-on debugging with electronics instrumentation (debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers).
• Must be a U.S. person due to ITAR regulations.

Optional, Desirable Technical Skills:

• Functional safety awareness (IEC 61508 / IEC 61800-5-2 / SIL concepts).
• Experience with Embedded control system integration:
• Motion control algorithms and systems.
• ROS 2, with a focus on motion control and servo drive interfacing.
• RTOS for embedded controllers (e.g. FreeRTOS).
• Computer-based industrial automation motion controllers and soft-PLC.
• Serial encoders (e.g., EnDat, BiSS, SSI).
• Proficiency in Linux and Unix.
• Knowledge of programming in IEC 61131-3, related development tools, and Relay Ladder Logic.
• Proficiency in Python and C#.
• Experience with QNX Neutrino or other POSIX-based operating systems.
• Knowledge of FPGA architecture and design.
• Ability to design, build, and maintain sophisticated hardware test platforms for electronics and motion systems.

Additional Required Competencies:

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and lead projects effectively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Commitment to quality, efficiency, and innovation.
• Experience in cross-functional team collaboration.

*To learn more about Allient, visit our website at

*Allient Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.