Principal Firmware Engineer

About Us

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. The Role

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.

Role

This is an on-site role, to be considered, applicants must currently reside in the Netherlands and hold valid work authorization. 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 You might be a great fit if you... 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