Job Vacancy Software Firmware Engineer

Help shape the next generation of intelligent LED cabin lighting for commercial aviation. This is a hands-on role building robust, real-time embedded software from the ground up, from architecture and algorithms through to implementation, verification, and delivery for safety-critical use.

What you'll do 🛠️

• Own the architecture & design: Define software structure, interfaces, and interactions with hardware and other systems; produce design docs and lead peer reviews.
• Build from first principles: Develop bare‑metal/RTOS firmware in C for microcontrollers and programmable logic devices.
• Low-level development: Write drivers and real-time control software; interface with peripherals (e.g., temperature sensors, I²C, SPI, UART, CAN).
• Platform fundamentals: Develop and maintain bootloaders, secure update mechanisms, and modular, object‑oriented components where appropriate.
• Hands-on debug: Triage HW/SW interactions using oscilloscopes, logic/protocol analysers; comfortable doing fine soldering/rework as needed.
• Verification & documentation: Deliver fully documented designs, implementation plans, and contribute across unit, integration, and system testing.
• Technical leadership: Mentor a graduate software engineer and set engineering standards within the team.

What you'll bring 🧠

Essential ✅

• Significant experience (ideally 10-15 years) in embedded software/firmware for real-time or bare‑metal systems.
• Expert-level C for low-level embedded development; strong microprocessor/microcontroller architecture knowledge.
• Proven delivery of drivers, peripheral bring-up, and hardware integration.
• Lab confidence: oscilloscopes, logic/protocol analysers; comfortable with board-level investigation and occasional soldering.
• Version control (Git) and Agile practices.
• Clear, methodical documentation and the ability to own solutions end‑to‑end.
• Strong communication and the autonomy to hit the ground running.

Desirable ⭐

• Safety-critical/high‑integrity experience (e.g. DO‑178C, ISO 26262, IEC 61508).
• FPGA or other low-level hardware programming exposure.
• CI/CD and automated test familiarity.

Working arrangement 🧭

• Onboarding: Expect to be on-site 4 days/week for the first 2-3 months to immerse in the lab, hardware, and product context.
• Thereafter: Hybrid pattern of 3 days a week with ongoing lab collaboration as projects require.

Benefits 🎁

• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holiday)
• Company-wide Christmas shutdown (allocated from leave allowance)
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Annual bonus scheme based on company and individual performance
• 37.5-hour work week
• Early finish Fridays 1pm every week
• Free annual eye test
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for confidential support

If you thrive on low-level C, enjoy architecting clean solutions, and like rolling up your sleeves in the lab we'd love to hear from you!

📩 Apply now or get in touch for a confidential chat.

To find out more about Computer Futures please visit

Computer Futures, a trading division of SThree Partnership LLP is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy | Registered office | 8 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ, United Kingdom | Partnership Number | OC387148 England and Wales