Senior Embedded Engineer With Deep Linux Kernel, C & Open Source For Mission Driven Company

Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Boulder, CO | Hybrid: 2 days onsite, 3 days remote

Base salary: $150,000–$180,000 + substantial bonuses

• Our client is a profitable, privately held 20+ year old hardware and software company that is working to make the world a better place. With an established global customer base and a self-funded business, the company offers financial stability, meaningful technical challenges, and a sustainable pace of work.
• They’re looking for a Senior Embedded Software Engineer who enjoys working close to the hardware, solving complex systems problems, and making thoughtful architectural decisions. This is a hands-on individual contributor role with significant ownership and room to deepen your technical impact without moving into management.

The Opportunity

• You’ll develop firmware and low-level software for products used in real-world environments, supporting an established installed base while helping build what comes next.
• A major focus will be evolving the software architecture, maintaining core C firmware, and helping lead a transition toward Rust. You’ll work closely with experienced technical leadership, hardware engineers, and product teams, contributing from early design and board bring-up through production and ongoing support.
• Your judgment will matter here. Our client values engineers who ask thoughtful questions, challenge assumptions constructively, and address underlying problems with durable solutions.

What You’ll Do

• Design, write, and maintain efficient, well-documented C firmware for resource-constrained embedded systems.
• Help define and execute a long-term transition toward Rust, developing a new codebase alongside continued support for existing products.
• Develop and maintain embedded Linux components, including device drivers, kernel modules, and board support packages.
• Shape software architecture with an emphasis on maintainability, scalability, and reuse across hardware generations.
• Own and improve CI/CD infrastructure, strengthening automated validation and supporting a predictable release cadence.
• Build Python tools for testing, diagnostics, calibration, and build automation.
• Develop and maintain bootloaders and interfaces using protocols such as SPI, I2C, UART, and USB.
• Partner with hardware engineers on schematic reviews, component selection, board bring-up, debugging, and validation.
• Optimize performance, memory use, and power consumption.
• Contribute to code reviews, architecture discussions, and technical decisions—and speak up when a different approach would produce a better result.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of professional embedded software development experience, with substantial hands-on depth.
• Strong proficiency in C, plus experience with—or a clear readiness to adopt—Rust for systems programming.
• Working proficiency in Python for tooling, automation, or testing.
• Hands-on embedded Linux experience, including kernel configuration, device drivers, or kernel modules.
• Experience designing software architecture for long-term maintainability and reuse.
• The ability to diagnose hardware and low-level software issues using tools such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
• Strong Git fundamentals and experience with collaborative development workflows.
• Curiosity about how physical devices work, sound technical judgment, and a willingness to take ownership.
• A degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field—or equivalent practical experience.

Helpful Additional Experience

• Embedded CI/CD, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and automated firmware deployment.
• Industrial hardware and hardware certification processes, including UL or ANSI.
• Power distribution, energy systems, or mathematical analysis of waveform data.

What Our Client Offers

• $150,000–$180,000 base salary, plus truly strong bonus compensation.
• Hybrid schedule: two days onsite in Boulder and three days remote.
• A consistent 40-hour workweek, flexible daily hours, and a genuine commitment to work-life balance.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• A 401(k) plan with company match.
• Paid time off and paid family leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• A collaborative, transparent culture with direct access to technical decision-makers.
• A stable team where people build lasting careers.
• If you want meaningful ownership, challenging embedded systems work, and the space to build software thoughtfully, we’d welcome a conversation.