Principal Software Engineer

Role: Principal Software Engineer

Salary: Up to £85,000

Location: Cambridge (fully on-site)

You’ll take technical ownership across a range of embedded and connected product development projects, working from early concept through to real-world deployment. This role blends hands-on engineering with technical leadership, giving you the chance to shape architectures, guide teams, and work closely with clients to solve complex, practical problems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of embedded and connected software systems
• Take a system-level view across firmware, hardware, connectivity, and cloud components
• Define pragmatic architectures and make sound technical decisions
• Work directly with clients to capture requirements and shape technical direction
• Write, review, and integrate production-quality code, primarily in C/C++
• Mentor and support other engineers, promoting best practice across the team
• Stay current with technologies shaping embedded, IoT, and connected products

Skills & Experience Required

• Strong experience developing embedded software in C/C++ for RTOS-based systems
• Proven background working with low-power, resource-constrained MCUs
• Experience configuring and working with RTOS environments such as FreeRTOS or Zephyr
• Solid understanding of embedded Linux
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience leading design discussions and guiding technical decisions

Desirable

• Experience with cloud, web, or mobile technologies in connected device ecosystems
• Background in consultancy or multi-project environments
• Exposure to full product lifecycles from concept through to manufacture

Keywords

Principal Software Engineer, Embedded Software, C, C++, RTOS, Embedded Linux, IoT, Connected Devices, Low Power Systems, Technical Leadership, Consultancy.