As a Principal Firmware Engineer (IoT), you will be a key player in designing, developing, and maintaining firmware systems related to electronic devices and hardware. Your expertise will bridge the gap between software and hardware, ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance. The Principal Firmware Engineer (IoT) serves as the Technical Function Owner for Connectivity and IoT embedded platforms, providing technical leadership across software architecture, requirements engineering, and firmware development. This role is responsible for defining and maintaining scalable, reusable platform architectures, establishing system and subsystem requirements, driving technical decision-making, and ensuring successful execution across multiple product lines and development teams.
The Principal Firmware Engineer (IoT) will partner closely with Product Owners, Systems, Hardware, Firmware, Cloud, Mobile, Quality, and Program teams to establish platform baselines, align technical direction, manage cross-functional dependencies, and deliver robust, secure, and scalable connectivity solutions.
The Principal Firmware Engineer (IoT) role is ideal for a technical leader who can define architecture, govern requirements, and remain hands-on when needed to solve complex technical challenges.
This position will serve Rheem North America Division, located in Indianapolis, IN (Hybrid). This role follows our hybrid work arrangement, with team members working in the office Monday through Thursday and remotely on Fridays. Relocation assistance is available.
- Work with systems engineering, product engineering, marketing, manufacturing, and others to capture electronic controls requirements for specific water heating applications.
- Work collaboratively with Lead Software and Systems Architecture Engineer to develop and extend software architecture and design for software applications.
- Develop software and associated documentation for embedded applications, following team design conventions.
- Provide a comprehensive self-review and test of the software.
- Work with hardware, systems, R&D, product, and validation engineers to support the validation of the software in the product application, with a focus on identifying and resolving any software, hardware, or system anomalies.
- Work with manufacturing and service on the implementation and validation of software features to support construction and field support.
- Support the development of tools for PC, handheld, and other devices that could be used for development, testing, manufacturing, service, and/or other applications.
- Work with cross-functional teams through direct interactions and team meetings in developing and translating new concepts into applications.
- Develop performance and qualification test methods, coordinate the implementation of experiments, and evaluate test results.
- Lead and participate in formal design reviews of electronic controls requirements, schematics, layouts, and software, as well as FMEA, DFM, DFT, and other related analyses.
- Prepare and support the review and release of formal requirements, design, and qualification documentation.
- Continue to develop professionally. Represent the company as requested in technical societies and keep the company advised of pertinent developments, new concepts, and opportunities.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent.
- 7+ years of hands-on experience developing production embedded firmware for microprocessor-based controls in C/C++ and assembly.
- Strong experience across the full Firmware Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including:
- Requirements elicitation and decomposition (system → software)
- Architecture and design
- Implementation and code reviews
- Verification, validation, and qualification
- Launch support (manufacturing, field readiness)
- Sustaining engineering, defect resolution, and field issue support
- Proven experience developing real-time, multi-threaded embedded systems.
- Expertise with embedded peripherals and interfaces such as SPI, QSPI, UART, RS485, and Ethernet.
- Experience with secure embedded platforms, including secure boot chains, image authentication, anti-rollback protection, and secure key handling.
- Experience supporting firmware update mechanisms (including OTA or field update strategies) across development, launch, and sustaining phases.
- Experience working closely with cross-functional teams including systems engineering, hardware, product, manufacturing, validation, and service.
- Strong debugging and failure analysis skills using hardware/software tools (emulators, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, test instrumentation).
- Ability to read and interpret schematics, wiring diagrams, and hardware documentation.
- Experience producing clear software design, requirements, and test documentation to support development and lifecycle maintenance.
- Experience participating in or leading design reviews, FMEA, DFM/DFT, and technical reviews.
- Proficiency with version control systems (e.g., Git).
- Strong communication skills with the ability to present technical concepts clearly to engineering and non-engineering stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
HOW TO STAND OUT
- Experience with connectivity technologies and protocols, including:
- Wireless: BLE, Wi-Fi, Thread, Matter, Amazon Sidewalk
- Wired/Protocols: BACnet, Modbus, TCP/IP
- Experience with security features such as Secure Boot, X.509 certificates, TLS, and encrypted file systems.
- Experience implementing OTA over wireless or cloud-connected systems.
- Experience with model-based development tools (MATLAB, LabVIEW).
- Familiarity with statistical methods or Design of Experiments (DOE).
- Experience supporting connected or IoT-enabled products in consumer or industrial environments.
At Rheem, how you achieve results is as important as the results you achieve. While LEADING OTHERS, you will be expected to demonstrate the following competencies and behaviors:
Aligning Performance for Success
Applying Business Knowledge
Building Talent
Building Trusted Relationships
Communicating with Impact
Customer-Orientation
Delegating Tasks
Executing/Leading the Team
Facilitating Change
Fostering Relationships/ Emotional Intelligence
Influencing
Problem Solving & Decision Making
Supporting Innovation
Equivalent combination of education, experience, and skills may supplement above minimum job requirements.
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