Principal Software Engineer

1 week ago

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom Forward NPD Full time £100,000 - £120,000 per year

Forward NPD is a Cambridge-based product development consultancy. We help our clients -- from ambitious start-ups to global brands -- turn their ideas into successful, manufacturable products. Our work spans the complete product development process, from earliest concept development through to in-life support. Our multidisciplinary team spans industrial and mechanical design, electronic engineering and software development. We focus on practical engineering that delivers.

The Role

We're looking for a Principal Software Engineer to take technical leadership across a range of embedded and connected system projects.

You'll combine deep embedded expertise with system-level awareness, equally at home configuring an RTOS on a low-power MCU as you are discussing cloud integration or data ingress with a client. You'll guide technical direction, make pragmatic design choices, and still enjoy hands-on coding where it matters most.

This is a key role within a consulting business: part engineer, part architect, part trusted adviser to colleagues and clients alike.

What You'll Do

  • Lead the software design and development of embedded and connected systems, often centred on low-cost, low-power MCUs running RTOS.
  • Take a system-wide view: balancing firmware, hardware, connectivity, and cloud considerations.
  • Work directly with clients to capture requirements, shape architectures, and define delivery plans.
  • Write, review, and integrate production-quality code in C/C++, and occasionally Python or other languages.
  • Mentor other engineers and help drive best practice across design, implementation, and test.
  • Stay on top of relevant technologies – particularly those shaping the IoT and connected device landscape.

What You'll Bring

  • Strong experience developing embedded software using C/C++ for RTOS-based systems (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr, …).
  • Solid understanding of low-power, resource-constrained systems.
  • Sound knowledge of embedded Linux.
  • Experience with cloud, web, or mobile technologies and how they connect into device ecosystems.
  • Proven ability to lead design discussions, make decisions, and communicate clearly with both engineers and customers.
  • A balance of technical confidence and curiosity – you know your craft but still want to push it further.

Why Forward NPD?

  • Work on varied, technically challenging projects that actually get built.
  • Influence full product lifecycles — from concept through to manufacture and deployment.
  • Enjoy autonomy, variety, and direct impact.
  • Collaborate with a small, skilled team of engineers who care about doing things properly.

If you're an experienced embedded developer who still enjoys hands-on engineering, and you want to play a leading role in how technology-enabled products are conceived and delivered, we'd love to talk.

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