Principal Firmware Engineer

As a Principal Firmware Engineer in a consulting capacity, you'll serve as a trusted technical advisor and hands-on expert for multiple medical device teams. You'll architect firmware, guide engineering decisions, and step into complex, high-stakes environments where reliability and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Your work will directly influence the safety, performance, and success of next-generation medical technologies.

You'll be doing things like:

• Lead the architecture, design, and development of real-time firmware for Class III medical devices in modern C++
• Act as a technical consultant to multiple client teams, helping them navigate firmware design, risk management, and regulatory expectations
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary (external) teams including hardware, systems engineering, neuroscience, and quality assurance
• Ensure compliance with medical device standards (ISO 13485, IEC 62304, ISO 14971) and guide clients through best practices
• Define and implement verification and validation strategies, including unit tests, integration tests, and traceability
• Diagnose, debug, and resolve complex firmware issues in a structured, reproducible, and client-friendly manner
• Mentor client engineering teams, conduct code reviews, and elevate engineering practices across organizations
• Shape internal consulting methodologies, documentation standards, and long-term technical direction at Compen Embedded

• Care deeply about patient outcomes and doing things the right way, even when nobody's watching
• Hold a Master's/PhD degree in Computer Science
• Bring extensive experience in embedded development, ideally within regulated or safety-critical environments
• Have strong consulting instincts: clear communication, expectation-setting, and the ability to build trust quickly
• Are comfortable working across multiple projects and adapting to different engineering cultures and maturity levels
• Have deep familiarity with microcontrollers, low-power design, real-time constraints, and hardware-software integration
• Can read and reason about circuit diagrams across both digital and analog domains
• Have hands-on experience with unit testing, documentation, and working in accordance with FDA/CE guidelines
• Thrive in a Unix CLI environment, wielding tools like Neovim, tmux, and Docker with speed and precision
• Have experience in startups (abroad), regulated environments, or connected medical devices
• Enjoy the autonomy and ownership that come with consulting

Compen Embedded is an early-stage startup headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, providing cutting-edge technological solutions to medical device startups driving neuroscience innovation across Europe and the United States. Our mission is to help them overcome firmware challenges and fast-track the delivery of life-changing breakthroughs.