JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Product and Quality Manager
Company: NextGen RF Design, Inc.
Location: North Mankato, MN
Job Type: Full-Time
Apply directly at https://www.nextgenrf.com/about/careers/
NextGen RF Design is seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer with 7 years of experience developing embedded C software for real-time, hardware-centric systems. This role is for a hands-on technical expert who designs, implements, debugs, and maintains low-level firmware across microcontrollers, SoCs, and embedded Linux platforms.
You will play a critical role in architecting and delivering robust, production-ready embedded software, working closely with hardware, FPGA, DSP, and systems engineers. While mentorship and technical leadership are expected, this is not a people-management role, it is focused on deep technical contribution and ownership. This role requires strong hands-on experience debugging complex embedded systems running both RTOS and Embedded Linux in production environments
Key Responsibilities
· Embedded Software Development
o Design, develop, and maintain embedded C/C++ firmware for microcontroller- and SoC-based systems.
o Implement real-time software using RTOS environments (e.g., FreeRTOS, or similar).
o Develop and maintain low-level drivers, BSPs, bootloaders, and hardware abstraction layers.
o Write efficient, deterministic, and maintainable code for interrupt-driven and time-critical systems.
o Embedded Linux is used where appropriate and complements MCU/RTOS-based systems.
§ Kernel configuration and debugging
§ Device drivers
§ User-space applications and services
o Lead design reviews; establish coding, documentation, and verification standards; drive technical best practices across projects.
· System Architecture & Integration
o Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, and DSP engineers to define hardware/software partitioning.
o Translate system requirements into clear, testable software designs and interfaces.
o Participate in design reviews, ensuring software architectures are scalable, testable, and production-ready.
o Support integration of embedded software into complete RF and embedded systems.
· Debugging & Bring-Up
o Lead board bring-up and system-level debugging on new hardware.
o Diagnose and resolve complex issues involving:
§ Memory corruption, stack overflows, race conditions
§ Timing issues, watchdog resets, and hard faults
§ Kernel panics and low-level Linux issues
o Use tools such as JTAG/SWD debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and trace tools.
o Debug across hardware, firmware, and OS boundaries.
· Customer & Business Alignment
o Work directly with customers to capture requirements, translate into system-level specifications, and communicate design tradeoffs.
o Represent the company at customer design reviews, technical working groups, or industry events as needed.
· Verification, Quality & Production Support
o Develop and execute unit, integration, and system-level test strategies.
o Ensure software meets performance, reliability, and maintainability requirements.
o Support manufacturing test, field issues, and long-term product sustainment.
o Contribute to coding standards, documentation, and software best practices.
o Support requirements traceability, documentation, and formal verification activities consistent with structured product development and quality system standards.
· Technical Leadership & Mentorship
o Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior and mid-level engineers.
o Lead by example through code quality, design rigor, and problem-solving approach.
o Influence engineering best practices without formal management responsibility.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
· BS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
· 10+ years of professional experience in embedded software development.
· Solid background in embedded Linux, including kernel-level debugging.
· Proven experience with:
o Interrupts, DMA, memory-mapped I/O
o Multithreading, synchronization, and real-time constraints
o Device driver development
· Deep debugging skills using both software and hardware tools.
· Expert-level skills in:
o C/C++ for embedded systems (bare metal and RTOS).
o Git-based version control and CI/CD workflows.
· Basic Understanding of RF communications protocols (e.g., Lora, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE/5G, proprietary modulations).
· Ability to manage tasks using Atlassian JIRA or other software tracking tools.
· Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams or mentoring junior engineers.
· Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to explain technical tradeoffs to both engineers and executives.
· Experience with ISO 9001 or other regulated development environments preferred.
· End-to-end ownership: define requirements, document designs, develop and verify firmware; proficient with interrupt-driven, real-time systems and device drivers.
· Evaluate and partition functions across CPU, FPGA, and peripherals, making clear cost, performance, and schedule tradeoffs.
JOB SNAPSHOT
Base Pay: Competitive; commensurate with experience
Employment: Full-Time, OnSite/Hybrid
Job Type: Engineering, Embedded Design
Education: BSCE/BSEE required.
Experience: 7 years experience preferred
Manages Others: No
Industry: RF Engineering Services
Required Travel: Not Specified
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $100,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Ability to Commute:
- North Mankato, MN 56003 (Preferred)
Ability to Relocate:
- North Mankato, MN 56003: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
