Lead Embedded Software Engineer Jobs
Lead Embedded Software Engineer jobs are open across aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, defense, and medical devices, at every level from senior engineer to staff and principal, with specializations in RTOS development, firmware architecture, and hardware-software integration. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
Find JobsLooking for remote work? View remote lead embedded software engineer jobs →Overview
Showing 5 of 1,074+ Lead Embedded Software Engineer jobs
Overview:
Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.
Job Description Summary:
Draper is seeking a software engineer for development of embedded real-time avionics systems. The engineer will develop high performance embedded solutions for resource constrained targets. These will include next-generation resilient and fault tolerant software solutions in the application domains of undersea, terrestrial, air, hypersonic systems and space. The engineer will be involved in the full software development life cycle from the design and requirements stage all the way to testing and deployment in the field.Job Description:
- Independently execute task assignments.
- Designs algorithms using modern theory and proven techniques, adheres to software best practices.
- Analyzes designs to demonstrate performance and functionality.
- Develops and executes software tests to check compliance with requirements.
- Prepares technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other required documentation.
- Communicates with customers and stakeholders to establish requirements and describe the design and deliverables.
- Drives solutions to complex problems, actively participate in requirements development, propose ways forward, and adapt appropriately to changes in requirements.
- Contributes to system architecture decisions and leads the architecture of sub-systems.
- Provides insight and suggest adaptations or modifications to processes and/or applications based on quantitative data or results.
- Identifies project technical risks and develops and executes mitigation strategies.
- Actively mentors less experienced staff and provides thoughtful, constructive feedback.
- Lead a small team of software developers on projects.
Skills/Abilities
- Curiosity-driven approach to solving complex, customer-driven problems as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Demonstrate an ability to learn new programming languages and technologies quickly.
- Collaborate and communicate effectively and openly with multi-disciplinary program team members, program leadership, and non-technical personnel.
- A team player able to work in a fast-paced environment with the ability to balance multiple competing tasks and demands.
Education
Requires a bachelor's in Computer Science or other related field. Master's degree is preferred.
Experience
5-10 years experience in Software Engineering or related field.
Additional Job Description:
Candidate must have experience in embedded software development with
- RISC-V and Ultrascale+ (Arm) processors or other low power microcontrollers (e.g. PowerPC, TMS320),
- Real-time operating systems (RTOSs), such as VxWorks, Integrity, embedded Linux, Zephyr and FreeRTOS,
- C/C++ and assembly programming languages
- Excellent development and troubleshooting skills on embedded targets
- Excellent knowledge of OS coding techniques, interfaces, hardware subsystems and driver development
- Development experience with device drivers, board support package, boot code and knowledge of embedded system busses and protocols (e.g. CAN, I2C, SPI, Serial, SpaceWire, 1553)
- Expertise in development tools (e.g. GCC, LLVM), static analysis tools, dynamic analysis, and QEMU based development are preferred
- Knowledge and experience with software configuration management tools, defect tracking tools, and peer review processes.
- Experience with in-circuit emulators, JTAG debuggers, and laboratory test equipment.
- Experience with safety-critical systems and compliance with industry standards, such as DO-178C is highly desirable.
- Experience with developing formal requirements, design and test documentation and supporting formal reviews
- Prior development of RTOSs is desirable.
Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a US government security clearance.
Connect With Draper for Future Opportunities! If you don't find the right posting in our Career Opportunities, you may submit your resume for future consideration.
Job Location - City:
CambridgeJob Location - State:
MassachusettsJob Location - Postal Code:
02139-3563The US base salary range for this full-time position is
$82,300.00 - $220,000.00Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.
Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.
Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We understand the value of inclusivity and its impact on a high-performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact hr@draper.com.
Overview:
Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.
Job Description Summary:
Draper is seeking a software engineer for development of embedded real-time avionics systems. The engineer will develop high performance embedded solutions for resource constrained targets. These will include next-generation resilient and fault tolerant software solutions in the application domains of undersea, terrestrial, air, hypersonic systems and space. The engineer will be involved in the full software development life cycle from the design and requirements stage all the way to testing and deployment in the field.Job Description:
- Independently execute task assignments.
- Designs algorithms using modern theory and proven techniques, adheres to software best practices.
- Analyzes designs to demonstrate performance and functionality.
- Develops and executes software tests to check compliance with requirements.
- Prepares technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other required documentation.
- Communicates with customers and stakeholders to establish requirements and describe the design and deliverables.
- Drives solutions to complex problems, actively participate in requirements development, propose ways forward, and adapt appropriately to changes in requirements.
- Contributes to system architecture decisions and leads the architecture of sub-systems.
- Provides insight and suggest adaptations or modifications to processes and/or applications based on quantitative data or results.
- Identifies project technical risks and develops and executes mitigation strategies.
- Actively mentors less experienced staff and provides thoughtful, constructive feedback.
- Lead a small team of software developers on projects.
Skills/Abilities
- Curiosity-driven approach to solving complex, customer-driven problems as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Demonstrate an ability to learn new programming languages and technologies quickly.
- Collaborate and communicate effectively and openly with multi-disciplinary program team members, program leadership, and non-technical personnel.
- A team player able to work in a fast-paced environment with the ability to balance multiple competing tasks and demands.
Education
Requires a bachelor's in Computer Science or other related field. Master's degree is preferred.
Experience
5-10 years experience in Software Engineering or related field.
Additional Job Description:
Candidate must have experience in embedded software development with
- RISC-V and Ultrascale+ (Arm) processors or other low power microcontrollers (e.g. PowerPC, TMS320),
- Real-time operating systems (RTOSs), such as VxWorks, Integrity, embedded Linux, Zephyr and FreeRTOS,
- C/C++ and assembly programming languages
- Excellent development and troubleshooting skills on embedded targets
- Excellent knowledge of OS coding techniques, interfaces, hardware subsystems and driver development
- Development experience with device drivers, board support package, boot code and knowledge of embedded system busses and protocols (e.g. CAN, I2C, SPI, Serial, SpaceWire, 1553)
- Expertise in development tools (e.g. GCC, LLVM), static analysis tools, dynamic analysis, and QEMU based development are preferred
- Knowledge and experience with software configuration management tools, defect tracking tools, and peer review processes.
- Experience with in-circuit emulators, JTAG debuggers, and laboratory test equipment.
- Experience with safety-critical systems and compliance with industry standards, such as DO-178C is highly desirable.
- Experience with developing formal requirements, design and test documentation and supporting formal reviews
- Prior development of RTOSs is desirable.
Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a US government security clearance.
Connect With Draper for Future Opportunities! If you don't find the right posting in our Career Opportunities, you may submit your resume for future consideration.
Job Location - City:
CambridgeJob Location - State:
MassachusettsJob Location - Postal Code:
02139-3563The US base salary range for this full-time position is
$82,300.00 - $220,000.00Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.
Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.
Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We understand the value of inclusivity and its impact on a high-performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact hr@draper.com.
See All 1,074+ Lead Embedded Software Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsLead Embedded Software Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Amazon56
- Northrop Grumman50
- Lockheed Martin30
- General Dynamics Mission Systems29
- Tesla17
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software47
- Electronics & Hardware27
- Manufacturing18
- Aerospace & Defense14
- Automotive12
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in lead embedded software engineer jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science
- 7 or more years of embedded software development experience in a professional setting
- Proficiency in C and C++ for resource-constrained embedded targets
- Hands-on experience with RTOS platforms such as FreeRTOS, VxWorks, or QNX
- Experience with communication protocols including CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, and Ethernet
- Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor a team of embedded software engineers
Tips for Your Lead Embedded Software Engineer Job Search
Tailor your resume to firmware depth
Hiring managers for lead roles want to see which microcontrollers and RTOS platforms you've owned end-to-end, not just used. List the processors, real-time kernels, and communication protocols you've architected around, and note the team size you led on each project.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists lead embedded software engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Filter by safety-critical domain experience
Many lead embedded roles in medical, automotive, and aerospace specifically screen for ISO 26262, IEC 62304, or DO-178C compliance experience. If you have it, call it out explicitly in your resume summary and in each relevant role description rather than burying it in a skills list.
Prepare a cross-layer design example
Interviewers at the lead level routinely ask you to walk through a design decision that required tradeoffs across hardware constraints, driver code, and application logic. Have one concrete example ready that shows you drove the architecture, not just implemented it.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
Lead embedded engineers often have more leverage on role definition than on base pay. Before your final offer conversation, clarify whether you'll own product definition, mentor junior engineers, or interface directly with hardware vendors, since those factors affect long-term career growth as much as salary does.
Follow up with a technical reference point
After an on-site or technical panel, send a brief follow-up that references one specific problem discussed during the interview, such as a scheduling latency tradeoff or memory footprint constraint. It reinforces your depth and keeps your name attached to a concrete technical moment.
Lead Embedded Software Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most lead embedded software engineers?
The companies hiring the most lead embedded software engineers right now include Amazon, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin, with the largest share of openings in California, Texas, and Massachusetts, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Aerospace, defense, and automotive manufacturers tend to post the highest volume of lead-level embedded roles.
How many lead embedded software engineer jobs are remote?
About 44% of lead embedded software engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, which is lower than many software disciplines because the role often requires hands-on access to hardware dev kits and lab equipment. Firmware-heavy roles in cloud-connected IoT devices and automotive OTA update systems tend to be the most remote-friendly sub-areas.
How do you become a lead embedded software engineer?
Start by building deep proficiency in C and C++ on bare-metal and RTOS targets, then accumulate production experience across the full embedded stack from device drivers through application firmware. Take on technical ownership of subsystems, mentor junior engineers, and document architecture decisions. Moving into a lead role typically requires demonstrating that you can set technical direction, not just implement it.
Can you get hired as a lead embedded software engineer without direct lead experience?
It's possible if you can show evidence of informal technical leadership, such as owning a critical subsystem, defining coding standards for a team, or mentoring other engineers on past projects. Emphasize any cross-functional work where you coordinated between hardware and software teams, and be specific about design decisions you drove independently rather than collaborated on.
What does the lead embedded software engineer interview process look like?
Most processes include a recruiter screen, a technical phone or video interview focused on RTOS concepts and low-level C or C++, and a panel or on-site round with embedded systems engineers and a hiring manager. Expect at least one design exercise where you walk through architecting a firmware subsystem under real constraints, plus a discussion of how you approach leading and reviewing other engineers' work.
Where can I find and apply to lead embedded software engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to lead embedded software engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your domain experience and seniority level, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 1,074+ Lead Embedded Software Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Jobs