Lead Firmware Engineer

Job Description

**Lead Firmware Engineer**

**Experience**

12 Years

**Employment Type**

Full-Time

**Work Location**

Pune

**Work Mode**

Hybrid (4 Days Work from Office \| 1 Day Work from Home)

**About the Role**

We are looking for a highly skilled and hands-on **Lead Firmware Engineer** to lead our Embedded Firmware and Embedded Hardware engineering teams while actively contributing to architecture, design, development, debugging, and technical problem-solving.

This is a **technical leadership role** , not a pure people management position. The ideal candidate will take end-to-end ownership of embedded firmware and hardware development for industrial products such as **Servo Drives, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), Motion Controllers, Safety Drives, and Industrial Automation Solutions**. The candidate should be passionate about mentoring engineers, driving engineering excellence, and delivering high-quality embedded systems while remaining deeply involved in hands-on technical work.

**Key Responsibilities** **Technical Leadership \& Architecture**

* Lead the technical direction, architecture, and execution of embedded firmware and hardware projects.

* Own the embedded electronics architecture covering MCU/SoC hardware, firmware architecture, RTOS, drivers, middleware, and communication interfaces.

* Define technology roadmaps for embedded hardware platforms, microcontrollers, firmware frameworks, RTOS, and development toolchains.

* Drive architectural decisions by balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, cybersecurity, quality, and cost.

* Act as the primary technical escalation point for complex cross-functional engineering challenges.

**Hands-on Engineering**

* Actively participate in hardware architecture, schematic, and PCB layout reviews.

* Perform firmware architecture discussions, code reviews, and contribute to critical Embedded C development when required.

* Support hardware bring-up and prototype debugging.

* Perform debugging using Oscilloscope, Logic Analyzer, JTAG, and SWD tools.

* Lead root cause analysis for hardware, firmware, EMC, reliability, and performance-related issues.

* Ensure high-quality, maintainable, and scalable firmware design.

**Embedded Hardware**

* Guide embedded hardware design involving MCU/SoC interfaces, analog and digital circuits, power management, monitoring, and protection.

* Review PCB layouts with emphasis on Signal Integrity (SI), Power Integrity (PI), EMC, and EMI considerations.

* Support component selection, reliability analysis, lifecycle management, and manufacturing readiness.

* Oversee hardware verification, validation, and environmental testing activities.

**Embedded Firmware**

* Lead development of Embedded C firmware for real-time embedded systems.

* Design and review low-level drivers, peripherals, RTOS/bare-metal applications, bootloaders, and firmware update mechanisms.

* Develop and review industrial communication stacks such as EtherCAT, CAN, PROFINET, and IO-Link.

* Implement secure boot, secure firmware update mechanisms, cryptography, and cybersecurity best practices.

* Ensure firmware quality through modular design, maintainability, and structured software engineering practices.

**Cross-Functional Collaboration**

* Collaborate closely with Controls, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Quality, Functional Safety, Cybersecurity, and System Architecture teams.

* Work with controls engineers on PWM, ADC timing, and real-time system requirements.

* Support product certifications, customer escalations, and technical audits.

* Ensure alignment between hardware, firmware, and system-level requirements.

**Team Leadership**

* Lead, mentor, and technically coach Embedded Hardware and Firmware engineers.

* Drive technical excellence through design reviews, code reviews, knowledge sharing, and engineering best practices.

* Support hiring, onboarding, capability development, and team growth.

* Build a collaborative, high-performance engineering culture while remaining hands-on.

**Process \& Quality**

* Establish and maintain structured development processes, documentation, configuration management, and traceability.

* Drive engineering best practices for design reviews, verification planning, and continuous improvement.

* Promote firmware and hardware verification methodologies and support industrialization activities.

**Mandatory Skills** **Embedded Firmware**

* 12 years of Embedded Firmware development experience.

* Strong expertise in Embedded C programming.

* Real-Time Firmware development using RTOS or Bare-Metal architecture.

* Bootloader development and Firmware Update mechanisms.

* Strong debugging and root cause analysis skills.

**Embedded Hardware**

* Hands-on experience with MCU/SoC-based hardware design.

* Strong understanding of Analog and Digital Circuits.

* Power Management and Sequencing.

* PCB Design Flow and PCB Layout Reviews.

* EMC/EMI fundamentals and debugging.

**Hardware Debugging**

Hands-on experience with:

* Oscilloscope

* Logic Analyzer

* JTAG

* SWD

* Hardware Bring-up

* Prototype Debugging

**Industrial Communication Protocols**

Hands-on experience with one or more of the following:

* EtherCAT

* CAN

* PROFINET

* EtherNet/IP

* IO-Link

**Domain Experience**

Mandatory experience in one or more of the following:

* Servo Drives

* Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)

* Motion Controllers

* Motion Control Systems

* Power Electronics

**Leadership Experience**

* Currently working as a Technical Manager, Technical Lead, or System Architect.

* Managing a team of 4--6 engineers while remaining technically hands-on.

* Experience in architecture reviews, design reviews, and code reviews.

* Experience working with European and/or US customers and stakeholders.

**Qualifications**

* Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.

**Core Competencies**

* Strong technical leadership and mentoring skills.

* Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

* Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

* Self-driven with a proactive and ownership-oriented mindset.

* Ability to collaborate across multiple engineering disciplines.

* Passion for engineering excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.

**Preferred Skills**

* Secure Boot

* Cryptography

* IEC 62443 Cybersecurity

* Functional Safety (SIL2/SIL3)

* Automated Testing

* Continuous Integration (CI)

* Scripting and Test Automation

* Agile Development Methodology

**What We're Looking For**

* A hands-on technical leader with deep expertise in embedded firmware and embedded hardware development.

* Strong experience leading engineering teams while actively contributing to design and development.

* Proven expertise in industrial communication protocols, embedded debugging, and firmware architecture.

* Experience in industrial electronics, motion control, servo drives, VFDs, or power electronics is mandatory.

* Excellent communication skills with experience collaborating with global stakeholders.

* Stable employment history, with a minimum of **3 years in at least one organization**, is preferred.

* Candidates based in Pune or willing to relocate to Pune are preferred.

* Immediate to 30 days' notice period is preferred. Candidates serving up to a 60-day notice period may also be considered.

**Why Join Us?**

* Opportunity to work on cutting-edge industrial automation and embedded technologies.

* Lead the development of next-generation embedded products.

* Hybrid work model with excellent work-life balance.

* Collaborative engineering culture with global exposure.

* Long-term career growth in a high-impact technical leadership role.