Principal Embedded Software Engineer Jobs
Principal Embedded Software Engineer jobs are open across aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, defense, and medical devices, from senior individual contributor to staff and principal levels, with specializations in RTOS development, bare-metal firmware, and hardware-software integration. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Job Description:
Our Client, IST (Integrated System Test) Software team is seeking highly motivated and technically driven Embedded Software Engineers to develop software for cutting-edge test platforms.
In this role, you will design, implement, and maintain software that interfaces directly with hardware and operating system components while providing robust APIs and services to higher-level applications. You will work closely with hardware engineers, software engineers, and product managers to design and deliver reliable, high-performance solutions used in advanced semiconductor test systems.
This is an opportunity to contribute across the full embedded software stack, from low-level hardware interaction and Linux platform development to application software and system integration.
This is a contract position for a nominal period of 1 year.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain software solutions in C and C++ for Linux-based and embedded systems.
- Debug and optimize complex hardware/software integration issues across system- and board-level components.
- Contribute to software quality and engineering efficiency through modern software development practices.
Required Qualifications
- Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly explain complex technical issues, project status, and risks to peers, managers, and customers.
- Experience implementing Agile software development practices like story planning, bug tracking, release planning, and sprint retrospectives.
- Proficiency in C and C++ software development for embedded and system-level applications.
- Experience debugging complex hardware/software integration issues and multithreaded applications.
- Experience with embedded communication interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet, PCIe, or similar technologies.
- Availability to work from our North Reading, Massachusetts or Sunnyvale, CA offices five days per week.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with scripting languages such as Python for automation, testing, and tooling.
- Experience in test, instrumentation, and automation domains.
Pay: $143,000.00 - $174,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
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Find JobsPrincipal Embedded Software Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman15
- Collins Aerospace5
- Coherent3
- Kratos Defense3
- BAE Systems USA3
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Technology & Software
- Electronics & Hardware
- Cybersecurity
- Aerospace & Defense
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal embedded software engineer jobs.
- 10 or more years of embedded software engineering experience with progressive technical leadership
- Deep 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
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science
- Familiarity with hardware debugging tools such as JTAG, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers
Tips for Your Principal Embedded Software Engineer Job Search
Tailor your resume for firmware depth
Hiring managers at the principal level expect your resume to show ownership of full firmware stacks, not just contributions. Call out the microcontrollers, RTOSes, and communication protocols you've owned end to end, and name the constraints you engineered within, like power budgets or latency ceilings.
Highlight cross-functional leadership on paper
Principal roles expect you to drive alignment between hardware, software, and systems teams. Your resume should show moments where you defined interfaces, resolved architectural conflicts, or unblocked a team, not just shipped code. That distinction separates principal candidates from senior ones.
Filter openings by platform and domain fit
Principal embedded roles are rarely interchangeable across domains. An automotive safety-critical opening requires AUTOSAR and ISO 26262 experience that a consumer IoT role won't value. Read job descriptions for the specific platform family and domain standard before applying so you're not wasting a shot.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal 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.
Prepare for architecture deep-dives in interviews
Expect at least one technical round where you're asked to design a constrained embedded system from scratch, justify your RTOS choice, and handle interrupt latency or memory layout questions on a whiteboard. Walk through real tradeoffs you've made in production systems, not textbook diagrams.
Negotiate scope and charter, not just pay
At the principal level, your offer conversation should include what systems you own, whether you have a seat in architectural reviews, and how the role is positioned relative to staff and distinguished engineers. Vague scope is a red flag worth raising before you sign.
Principal Embedded Software Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal embedded software engineers?
The companies hiring the most principal embedded software engineers right now include Northrop Grumman, Collins Aerospace, and Coherent, with the largest share of openings in California, Massachusetts, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Aerospace, defense, and automotive manufacturers tend to post the highest volume of principal-level embedded roles.
How many principal embedded software engineer jobs are remote?
About 38% of principal embedded software engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the share varies significantly by domain. Firmware roles tied to physical hardware bring-up, lab debugging, or safety-critical systems like automotive or medical devices skew heavily on-site, while embedded platform and middleware roles in cloud-connected IoT products tend to offer more remote flexibility.
How do you become a principal embedded software engineer?
Most principal embedded software engineers get there by building deep ownership of firmware systems at the senior level, then taking on cross-functional technical leadership. You'll need a foundation in C and C++, demonstrated experience owning an embedded platform end to end, and a history of making architectural decisions that other engineers follow. Contributing to design reviews, mentoring junior engineers, and driving standards across a team are the activities that move you from senior to principal.
Can you get hired as a principal embedded software engineer without prior principal-level titles?
Yes, many candidates make the jump from senior to principal without ever holding the title formally. What matters is whether your experience reflects principal-level scope: owning a system architecture, setting technical direction, and influencing work beyond your immediate team. A strong portfolio of firmware systems you've defined from requirements to silicon, combined with examples of cross-team technical leadership, can make a compelling case even if your resume shows only senior titles.
What does the principal embedded software engineer interview process look like?
The process typically runs four to six rounds and includes a recruiter screen, a technical phone screen focused on systems and firmware concepts, one or two deep-dive architecture rounds where you design a constrained embedded system, a coding round in C or C++, and a cross-functional or leadership panel assessing how you drive technical decisions. Some companies add a take-home design exercise. Expect detailed questions about RTOS internals, memory management, and real tradeoffs you've navigated on production hardware.
Where can I find and apply to principal embedded software engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to principal embedded software engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from companies across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your domain experience and technical background, then apply directly to each one that fits.
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