Senior Electronics & Embedded Software Engineer

Location: Filton, Bristol
Contract: 1-year initial contract, with possibility to extend for six months
Start Date : ASAP

Pay Rate: £75 - £85 per hour

About the Role

We are looking for a Senior Electronics & Embedded Software Engineer to design, develop, and maintain advanced embedded systems for a jet engine Blade Inspection Tool (BIT) product suite. This role combines embedded firmware development, electronics/PCB design, and hands-on prototyping, with a strong focus on custom camera modules and LED strobing systems.

You will work on both a matured legacy product and a new hardware platform, collaborating with internal teams and external camera vendors to deliver reliable and production-ready solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Embedded Software & Firmware Development

• Develop, test, and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers, including bootloaders.
• Implement and maintain device drivers for peripherals such as I2C, SPI, UART, USB, ADC, PWM, and others as required.
• Implement serial communication protocols for interfacing with embedded boards and host systems.

Electronics & PCB Design

• Design schematics for small embedded systems, custom camera interfaces, and development boards.
• Perform PCB layout, including component placement and routing, with a focus on miniaturized boards.
• Design and review LED driver circuitry and associated control electronics for pulsed/strobing operation.
• Work with high-speed interfaces such as USB2.0 & USB3.0 in PCB layouts.

Prototyping, Testing & Debugging

• Assemble and test electronic prototypes and development boards.
• Perform hand soldering and rework of SMD components, including fine-pitch and miniaturized PCBs.
• Use lab equipment (oscilloscope, logic analyser, power supplies, etc.) to debug hardware and firmware issues.
• Build simple development and test boards to support ongoing R&D and validation activities.
• Support QA, validation, and verification of prototype cameras and embedded systems.

Documentation, Collaboration & Delivery

• Maintain clear, traceable documentation including schematics, PCB revisions, firmware versions, and test reports.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical engineers, manufacturing partners, and external vendors to ensure robust, manufacturable designs.
• Support the transition from prototype to small-scale and volume production, including design-for-manufacture (DFM) and design-for-test (DFT) considerations.
• Participate in design reviews and provide technical input on requirements, specifications, and architecture.

Vendor & Stakeholder Interaction

• Interface with external camera vendors to review and refine camera designs, requirements, and performance targets.
• Review and provide feedback on camera specifications, optical sensor interfaces, and integration constraints.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders on pulse LED architecture, requirements, and system-level trade-offs.

Required Skills & Experience

Embedded Software

Strong experience developing firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers; ability to write, test, and debug low-level drivers and application code.

Peripherals & Interfaces

Hands-on experience with I2C, SPI, UART, USB, ADC, PWM and similar protocols/interfaces.

Electronics Design

Experience in schematic design and PCB layout for small, embedded systems; familiarity with miniaturized PCBs.

PCB Tools

Proficiency with Altium Designer (or equivalent professional PCB design tools).

Prototyping

Comfortable assembling and reworking PCBs, including SMD hand soldering and working with fine-pitch components.

Debug & Test

Proficient using oscilloscopes, logic analysers, and related lab equipment for system bring-up and troubleshooting.

Communication & Teamwork

Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and external vendors, clearly communicate technical topics, and document work thoroughly.

Nice-to-Have Skills

Camera & Imaging Systems

Experience with camera module design, image sensors, lens selection, and integration into embedded systems.

Optical Sensors & ISPs

Familiarity with optical sensors and image signal processors (ISPs), including configuration and tuning.

High-Level Software

Experience with Python and/or C/C++ for PC- or host-side applications to interface with embedded boards (e.g., test automation, calibration tools, data acquisition).

Control & Image Processing

Experience implementing closed-loop control for camera/illumination systems and basic image processing pipelines.