Lead Firmware Engineer
Kidde-Fenwal, LLC
Location: 400 Main Street, Ashland, MA, 01721 USA
Company Overview
KiddeFenwal is the global market leader in designing and manufacturing innovative industrial and commercial fire suppression systems and safety controls. Our proprietary, fully certified offerings save lives, protect property, and minimize business interruption.
Our brands — Fenwal Controls supports OEMs with gas ignition, temperature control, and overheat detection products. Kidde Fire Systems and Kidde Fire Protection—deliver highly engineered fire suppression, detection, and control systems across industrial, commercial, and marine sectors.
Headquartered in Ashland, Massachusetts, KiddeFenwal operates globally, with facilities in the U.S., United Kingdom (KFI-UK), and India (KTI-India). Learn more at www.kiddefenwal.com
Our Purpose
We protect lives, livelihoods, and iconic assets through innovative solutions, strong partnerships, and exceptional customer experiences. Built on a foundation of integrity and safety, we drive results with speed and excellence while fostering innovation and teamwork.
Position Summary
The Lead Firmware Engineer will lead the design and development of embedded firmware for safety-critical burner control systems, ignition modules, and related products.
This role spans the full embedded software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, system and software architecture, detailed design, implementation in C/C++, design and code reviews, unit and system testing, validation, and product support. Legacy products require assembly language experience.
The successful candidate will lead firmware development for new products while supporting and maintaining existing product platforms. The role requires close collaboration with hardware and software engineering teams, both locally and globally, as well as cross-functional teams including Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing.
The position also involves applying engineering and scientific principles to develop robust solutions that meet product specifications, customer requirements, applicable safety standards, and business objectives. Novel ideas and innovations should be identified and protected through applicable intellectual property processes
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design, development, integration, and validation of embedded firmware for safety-critical burner control systems.
- Translate product and system requirements into firmware architecture, software requirements, and detailed designs.
- Develop high-quality embedded firmware using C, C++, and Assembly language
- Apply Agile software development practices throughout the development lifecycle.
- Develop and execute unit, integration, and system-level testing.
- Conduct and participate in design reviews and peer code reviews.
- Follow a cybersecure firmware development lifecycle and applicable engineering practices.
- Debug and troubleshoot embedded systems using emulators, JTAG/BDM debuggers, and other development tools.
- Estimate engineering effort and development duration and support achievement of project cost and schedule objectives.
- Support product compliance with applicable safety and regulatory standards, including ASHRAE, IEC, CSA, and CE requirements.
- Develop standard work and engineering practices that improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Evaluate and recommend new technologies for current and future product designs.
- Collaborate effectively with hardware, software, and cross-functional teams across multiple geographic locations and time zones
Experience and Competencies
Min. 8 to 10 years of experience in Embedded Firmware design and development, including at least 2 years in a firmware technical lead role.
Strong in Embedded C/C++, object oriented software development
- Strong proficiency in Embedded C/C++ and object-oriented software development. Experience with microchip PIC assembly language.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret system requirements and translate them into software requirements, interfaces, architecture, and detailed designs.
- Experience developing software architectures and designs using structured, top-down methodologies.
- Experience in documenting the software design concepts, software design document
- Experience understanding, maintaining, and enhancing legacy codebases.
- Experience conducting peer code and design reviews.
- Hands-on experience developing bare metal/non-OS embedded systems.
- Experience with 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers.
- Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills using emulators, JTAG/BDM debuggers, and related embedded development tools.
- Development experience with communication interfaces and protocols such as UART
RS-485, RS-232, MODBUS, SPI, I²C, USB, and CAN.
- Ability to read and understand electronic schematics and hardware designs.
- Experience with software version control and defect-tracking systems.
- Strong interest in learning new technologies and tools and applying them in a highly collaborative, team-oriented engineering environment.
Basic Qualifications
- B.S. in Electrical / Electronics Engineering
- Min. 8 to 10 years of professional experience in Embedded Firmware development
Preferred Qualifications/Competencies
- Experience or exposure to safety-critical embedded system design, including products intended for CE markets and/or SIL-related applications.
- Experience with boiler controls or HVAC systems is a plus.
- Exposure to RTOS and/or Embedded Linux is a plus.
- Working knowledge of networking and BACnet protocols.
- Strong decision-making, organizational, and time-management skills.
- Ability to exercise a high degree of independent technical judgment.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong collaboration skills, with the flexibility to work effectively with geographically distributed teams across multiple time zones
KiddeFenwal, LLC. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other federally protected class.
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or Electronics Engineering
- 8 to 10 years of professional embedded firmware development experience
- At least 2 years in a firmware technical lead role
- Strong proficiency in embedded C and C++
- Object-oriented software development experience
- Microchip PIC Assembly language experience
- Experience translating system requirements into software requirements, interfaces, architectures, and detailed designs
- Experience with structured, top-down software architecture and design methodologies
- Experience documenting software design concepts and software design documents
- Experience maintaining and enhancing legacy codebases
- Experience conducting peer code reviews and design reviews
- Hands-on experience developing bare-metal or non-OS embedded systems
- Experience with 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers
- Embedded debugging experience using emulators, JTAG/BDM debuggers, and related tools
- Experience with UART, RS-485, RS-232, MODBUS, SPI, I²C, USB, and CAN
- Ability to read and understand electronic schematics and hardware designs
- Experience with software version control and defect-tracking systems
- Experience with safety-critical embedded systems and CE or SIL-related applications
- Experience with boiler controls or HVAC systems
- Exposure to RTOS or Embedded Linux
- Working knowledge of networking and BACnet protocols
- Strong decision-making, organizational, and time-management skills
- Ability to exercise independent technical judgment
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to collaborate with geographically distributed teams
What We Do
KiddeFenwal is a global fire-safety company uniting the Kidde Fire Systems, Kidde Fire Protection, and Fenwal Controls brands. It designs and manufactures integrated fire detection, suppression, alarm, and control systems, alongside gas-ignition, temperature-control, and fire/overheat-detection products. These solutions serve commercial, industrial, marine, residential, vehicle, and other critical applications, helping protect people, property, infrastructure, and operations worldwide, including in energy and data-center environments.
