Lead Embedded Software Engineer - Video Systems in Slough, United Kingdom

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on embedded software engineer to take technical ownership of a video systems platform. You will lead embedded software architecture, evaluate components and platforms, develop working prototypes, and deliver reliable production-ready systems.
You will collaborate closely with hardware engineers and external specialists, translating technical requirements into robust, measurable solutions.
Key Responsibilities

• Own the embedded software architecture and contribute to system design and platform selection.
• Develop and maintain low-level C/C++ software for video processing, hardware control and network communication.
• Evaluate and integrate hardware codecs, vendor SDKs, drivers and supporting software.
• Implement and debug interfaces and protocols including I2C, SPI, UART, CAN and Ethernet.
• Integrate and optimise real-time video transport, including configuration, encryption, monitoring and recovery behaviour.
• Build and optimise video pipelines for latency, image quality, bitrate and audio synchronisation.
• Develop networking and control functions that handle packet loss, interruptions and recovery.
• Support board bring-up, hardware integration and system debugging.
• Define FPGA requirements and coordinate specialist support where needed.
• Create automated tests, diagnostics, logging and repeatable performance measurements.
• Establish reproducible builds, firmware update and recovery processes, and clear technical documentation.
• Support bench and field trials, converting test feedback into improvements.

Essential Requirements

• Strong embedded C/C++ development skills, including debugging on physical hardware.
• Experience delivering hardware-based video encoding, decoding or comparable real-time systems.
• Embedded Linux development experience, including vendor SDKs, drivers and hardware interfaces.
• Understanding of video pipelines, buffering, memory movement and end-to-end latency.
• Experience with Ethernet/IP networking and real-time video transport.
• Ability to diagnose issues across software, hardware and system boundaries.
• Experience progressing embedded systems from development hardware to dependable operational use.
• Ability to assess technical trade-offs, work independently and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Desirable Experience
• SRT encoder/decoder development or integration.
• Low-latency H.265/HEVC or H.264 implementation.
• FPGA/SoC platforms and associated development tools.
• FPGA integration, AXI, DMA, Verilog or VHDL.
• SDI video, 4K60, 10-bit processing, embedded audio, genlock or timecode.
• GStreamer or comparable embedded media frameworks.
• Experience with camera-control protocols, telemetry or constrained wireless links.

Remote working is welcome where practical, with on-site attendance for hardware integration, testing and collaboration. We are flexible on start date and prioritise finding the right person.