Senior / Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer - C/C++, RTOS, Linux, Bare-Metal | Medical Devices | Contract Mfg a +

ITAR REQUIREMENTS: This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e., 'Green Card Holder'), Political Asylee, or Refugee.

This role is onsite in Gray, Maine. Candidates who are motivated to relocate are welcome to apply - assistance is available.

KORE1, a nationwide provider of staffing and recruiting solutions, has an immediate opening for a Senior / Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer - C/C++, RTOS, Linux, Bare-Metal | Medical Devices | Contract Mfg a +

As a Principal or Sr. Embedded Firmware Engineer for the organization, you will develop firmware and software as part of highly integrated, custom embedded processing systems used in new products, primarily for medical devices and capital equipment. You may also support projects across other industries in the company's portfolio, including automotive, industrial automation, and defense. We are hiring at either Senior or Principal level; the Principal level involves larger, more complex projects and leadership responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Design embedded software for new electronic products, ranging from simple microcontroller-based solutions to highly complex embedded processing systems.
• Serve as software lead on development projects:
  • Senior: Lead smaller embedded systems projects.
  • Principal: Lead complex, multi-year, multi-team embedded systems projects, including architecture and downstream integration.
• Collaborate with project teams, including hardware designers, to identify software-related requirements and develop corresponding software design strategies or architecture that meet performance, cost, and resource requirements.
• Develop detailed software specifications and implement embedded code in accordance with defined requirements and specifications.
• Participate in the bring-up of new custom embedded processor hardware.
  • Senior: May perform lab-level hardware bring-up as needed; focus primarily on coding and debugging.
  • Principal: Perform lab-level hardware bring-up and oversee integration, troubleshooting, and validation for the full system.
• Establish software verification testing tools and methods and execute software testing activities.
• Document ideas, designs, specifications, and instructions to organizational standards.
• Provide software engineering input for project quoting, planning, and schedule discussions.
• Mentor junior engineering staff (Senior) or broader engineering teams and lead technical decision-making (Principal).
• Collaborate with management to develop and improve department processes, tools, and best practices.
• Manage single or multiple projects:
  • Senior: Typically 1-2 smaller projects concurrently.
  • Principal: Larger scope projects spanning multiple years, possibly multi-product or multi-customer assignments.

Job Requirements

Requirements / Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related engineering discipline. Former engineering experience is highly preferred.
• Senior: Minimum of 5 years of embedded firmware development experience.
• Principal: Minimum of 10 years embedded firmware development experience; 15+ years preferred.
• Strong technical understanding of embedded software design and architectural concepts, including integration between firmware and hardware.
• Experience developing with C/C++ in embedded environments, including bare-metal, multi-threaded RTOS, and embedded operating systems (e.g., Linux).
• Experience with embedded platforms: ARM, PIC; DSP and FPGA-based SoCs are a plus.
• Hands-on experience with hardware interfaces: I2C, SPI, UART, USB.
• Familiarity with communication protocols beyond low-level interfaces, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, CAN, Modbus, Ethernet, SPI/I2C variants, or custom protocols.
• Ability to independently use electronics lab equipment to develop, troubleshoot, and validate low-level drivers and hardware integration.
• Familiarity with development tools and IDEs such as Eclipse, Keil, IAR, and CI/CD toolchains (VS Code, static/dynamic analysis tools like Coverity, Clang, Valgrind, unit testing frameworks like Google Test).
• Understanding of higher-level languages, object-oriented methodologies, UI implementation, and PC application programming; experience with Qt framework preferred.
• Strong understanding of software QA, testing tools, and methodologies.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, follow established design procedures, and document work to organizational standards.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work across multiple departments.
• Experience in regulated industries, particularly medical devices, required; exposure to capital equipment, automotive, industrial automation, or defense projects is a plus.
• Strong communication and soft skills, including the ability to plan, present, and interact with program managers and customers for scoping and quoting projects.

Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer:

Compensation depends on experience but is typically $135-165K plus an undefined bonus based on company & individual performance. However, we are willing to send qualified candidates over budget.

Sr. Embedded Firmware Engineer:

Compensation depends on experience but is typically $90-135K plus an undefined bonus based on company & individual performance. However, we are willing to send qualified candidates over budget.

ABOUT KORE1
Specializing in professional and technical recruiting, KORE1 is committed to supporting top IT, Engineering, Creative, Scientific, Accounting and Finance professionals in their career paths. We build deep relationships with leading companies, connecting them to exceptional talent every day. With extensive industry expertise and unmatched opportunities, our goal is to provide a unique experience for our contractors and consultants as they prepare for their next role. We are passionate about matching the right people with the right companies.

Kore1 provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Kore1 complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Kore1 expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Kore1's employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.