Senior Embedded Product Engineer in Bristol

Job DescriptionRole: Principal or Senior Embedded Product Engineer Location: Bristol Salary: £45,000 - £70,000 approx. we are happy to pay for the right talent so if you’re seeking a little more, please do till apply. We're looking for an experienced engineer who has spent several years developing real electronic products and is comfortable working across multiple engineering disciplines. The ideal person is a a senior product development engineer with strong embedded firmware experience who is equally comfortable discussing electronics, reviewing PCB designs, debugging hardware, capturing requirements, mentoring engineers and helping take products from concept through manufacture. Because we're a small engineering company (around 40 people), we don't have separate firmware, electronics, mechanical and systems engineering departments. Our engineers need to move comfortably between disciplines and understand the complete product development process. About the Role: This is not a pure firmware role. We are looking for someone who enjoys developing complete products and is comfortable working across embedded firmware, electronics and systems engineering. As a growing SME, we don't have separate firmware, electronics, systems and product engineering departments. Our engineers work across disciplines and are involved throughout the complete product lifecycle, from initial concept through prototype, manufacture, customer deployment and ongoing product improvement. The successful candidate will become a key technical contributor, working alongside our software, hardware, manufacturing and operations teams, while also working with external suppliers and design partners. What we're looking for: We're looking for an engineer who enjoys solving practical engineering problems rather than specialising in a single discipline. The ideal candidate will have experience developing real electronic products and will be comfortable moving between firmware, electronics and systems engineering as projects require. We don't expect someone to be an expert in every area, but we do expect them to understand how the disciplines fit together and be capable of making sound engineering decisions. Key Responsibilities: * Develop embedded firmware for microcontroller-based products. * Design and debug embedded systems using modern development tools. * Read, review and contribute to electronic schematics and PCB designs. * Investigate hardware and firmware issues using laboratory test equipment. * Capture engineering requirements and contribute to system architecture. * Develop prototypes and support product integration. * Work with external design partners and manufacturers. * Support products through manufacture, deployment and continuous improvement. * Participate in design reviews, verification and validation activities. * Mentor junior engineers and contribute to engineering best practice. Essential Skills & Experience: * Commercial experience developing embedded products. * Strong Embedded C/C++ development experience. * Good understanding of microcontroller-based systems. * Experience with RTOS, watchdogs, interrupts and state-machine design. * Good understanding of communication protocols such as SPI, I²C and UART. * Ability to read and understand electronic schematics. * Experience debugging both hardware and firmware. * Practical experience using oscilloscopes, logic analysers and other electronic test equipment. * Structured approach to engineering problem solving. * Ability to work across multiple engineering disciplines. * Good communication skills and a collaborative approach. Desirable Experience: STM32 or ARM Cortex-M devices. PCB design or PCB design review. Low-power and battery-powered products. Industrial communications (CAN, RS485, Modbus, LoRa, Bluetooth, etc.). Product verification and validation. Requirements capture and systems engineering. Prototype development. Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT). Python or other engineering scripting tools. Altium or similar ECAD tools. ATEX / IECEx or industrial product compliance. Personal Attributes We're looking for someone who: Enjoys building real products rather than simply writing software. Is naturally curious and enjoys learning new technologies. Takes ownership of technical problems. Is practical, hands-on and enjoys working in the laboratory. Can balance engineering quality with commercial priorities. Works well in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team. Is happy working within a fast-moving SME where no two days are the same. Why Join US? You will work on industrial sensing products deployed worldwide, solving real engineering challenges across embedded electronics, firmware, industrial communications and product development. Unlike larger organisations, you will have visibility across the complete engineering lifecycle from concept and prototype through manufacture, customer deployment and continuous product improvement providing broad technical experience and significant opportunities for professional growth. Benefits: Pension - 5% company pension with 3%+ employee (following probation) Private Health Care with Vitality Flexible working arrangements Life insurance Cycle to work scheme 25 days holiday + birthday off + volunteering day Fruit! Air con in the summer