Senior/Lead Embedded Systems Engineer

Location: Madrid, Spain

We are looking for a Senio r /Lead Embedded Systems Enginee r to join as the first in the R&D; team.

You will own the architectural vision and lifecycle execution for all mission-critical flight firmware and bare-metal to embedded software, laboratory automation, and Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) software.

You will be in charge of the architecture design, implementation, and continuous improvement of highly reliable, fault-tolerant embedded solutions.

The role will involve working across the boundary between software and hardware, making it well suited to someone who enjoys solving complex technical problems at the system level

Key Responsibilities

- Embedded Software Ownership: Take responsibility for the full embedded software lifecycle, covering architecture, implementation, validation, deployment, and ongoing support across propulsion control systems, from low-level firmware through real-time applications and EGSE tooling.
- Engineering Leadership: Provide technical direction to a growing embedded software team, supporting engineers through mentoring, knowledge sharing, and establishing strong development practices.
- Verification & Reliability: Develop robust software validation approaches, including Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), automated testing, and embedded CI/CD workflows to ensure systems meet operational and flight-readiness requirements.
- Software Architecture & Modernisation: Design modular and maintainable firmware architectures while driving the transition from legacy, resource-limited 8-bit bare-metal platforms toward contemporary 32-bit MCU and RTOS-based solutions.
- Technical Evaluation: Assess proposed designs,



identify potential engineering challenges, and determine practical and reliable implementation strategies.
- Hardware/Software Integration: Collaborate closely with electronics and hardware engineers to integrate firmware and embedded applications with propulsion hardware, test infrastructure, and laboratory equipment.
- Engineering Reviews & Documentation: Contribute to technical, design, and project milestone reviews while maintaining clear documentation and ensuring engineering decisions remain aligned with wider programme objectives.

Requirements

- 4+ year s of low-level programming, i deally u sing C and/or C++
- Professional experience developing embedded systems.
- Experience with RTOS, bare-metal development, or other real-time embedded environments.
- Practical experience working with hardware interfaces suc h as SPI, I2C, UART, and CAN
- Ability to interpret schematics, datasheets, and hardware documentation
- Understanding of how embedded software interacts with processors, peripherals, sensors, and other electronics.
- Strong systems-level thinking and the ability to troubleshoot problems beyond the software layer.
- Comfortable working collaboratively with hardware, electronics, and software engineers.

What’s On Offer

- Competitive salary (€45-65k)
- Opportunity to work on advanced unmanned and autonomous technology
- Hands-on involvement with complex embedded systems and hardware
- The chance to work on technology deployed in real-world operational environments
- High levels of technical ownership and responsibility
- Collaboration with engineers across software, electronics, hardware, and systems disciplines
- A fast-moving, engineering-focused environment where your work has a direct impact on deployed products

📌 Founding/Lead Embedded Systems Engineer (Madrid)
🏢 Strativ Group
📍 Madrid