Junior Embedded Engineer

About Ignitec

Ignitec is a product design and engineering consultancy developing technology for clients across the industrial, medical, defence and energy sectors.

Our multidisciplinary team brings together embedded systems, electronics, software, mechanical design and manufacturing expertise, taking products from initial ideas through to testing, manufacture and deployment.

You could be developing firmware for a connected device, bringing up a new sensor board or investigating a fault on a prototype. You’ll learn how your work fits into the complete product and how different engineering disciplines work together to deliver it.

The role

You’ll support the development, testing and maintenance of embedded firmware, working closely with our embedded and electronics engineers.

This is a junior role with mentoring, technical guidance and regular feedback. You’ll begin with clearly defined tasks and take on greater responsibility as your skills and confidence develop.

What you’ll be doing

• Developing embedded firmware in C and C++, with support from experienced engineers.
• Working with microcontrollers such as STM32 and ESP32.
• Integrating sensors, actuators, displays and other peripherals using interfaces such as UART, SPI and I²C.
• Supporting connected product development using technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi.
• Helping electronics engineers bring up new PCBs, integrate firmware and investigate faults.
• Prototyping and testing with development boards and custom hardware.
• Writing clear, maintainable code and participating in code reviews.
• Checking your work against agreed requirements and recording test results.
• Maintaining technical notes, development records and test procedures.
• Contributing to technical discussions, design reviews and project meetings.
• Taking ownership of small, defined tasks, keeping colleagues informed and raising problems early.

Essential skills and experience

• A degree, HND, relevant apprenticeship or equivalent practical experience in embedded systems, electronic engineering, computer engineering, computer science or a related discipline.
• A working understanding of C or C++, demonstrated through practical projects.
• Some experience programming microcontrollers through study, personal projects, placements or employment.
• An understanding of basic electronics and the ability to follow simple schematics.
• Familiarity with common microcontroller peripherals or interfaces, such as GPIO, ADC, UART, SPI or I²C.
• A logical, methodical approach to debugging and problem-solving.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively.
• Attention to detail and a willingness to check and improve your work.

You don’t need experience with every technology we use. We’re interested in your technical foundations, how you approach problems and your potential to develop.

Useful experience, but not essential

Experience with any of the following would be an advantage:

• STM32CubeIDE, ESP-IDF or similar development environments.
• FreeRTOS or another real-time operating system.
• BLE, Wi-Fi, LoRa or other wireless technologies.
• Git or another version control system.
• Oscilloscopes, logic analysers, multimeters or JTAG/SWD debugging.
• Soldering, electronics prototyping or PCB assembly.
• Python or scripting for testing and automation.
• Firmware testing, firmware updates or IoT connectivity.

What we’re looking for

Your attitude and approach matter as much as the technologies you’ve already used.

You’ll enjoy working here if you like figuring out how things work, getting hands-on with hardware and sharing ideas with the people around you.

• Curiosity: You ask questions, explore ideas and enjoy learning something new.
• Initiative: You enjoy having a go at solving problems and ask for help when you need it.
• Care in your work: You take pride in checking the details and understanding unexpected results.
• A collaborative approach: You share what you’ve learnt, listen to feedback and support your colleagues.
• A sense of ownership: You enjoy seeing a task through and keeping others up to date along the way.

You won’t be expected to have all the answers. You’ll have experienced colleagues to learn from and support as you find your feet.

Career development

You’ll learn through real project work, supported by experienced engineers who’ll help you build your technical skills and confidence.

As you grow, you’ll have opportunities to take on more responsibility, work more independently and get involved in different aspects of product development, from understanding client requirements to testing your firmware on real hardware.

With mentoring, regular feedback and a variety of projects, you’ll have support to progress towards an Embedded Engineer role and, over time, explore technical specialisation or leadership.