Embedded Hardware Engineer

We are seeking an experienced embedded hardware engineer to lead the design and development of safety-critical fire alarm control panels and related hardware modules. The role involves translating stringent EN 54-2 and EN 54-4 standards into robust, traceable hardware specifications, designing multi-layer PCBs, and ensuring system reliability through comprehensive fault analysis and testing. The successful candidate will work closely with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, certified products for life-safety applications.

Key Responsibilities

Safety-Critical Hardware Architecture: Architect and design schematics and multi-layer PCBs for addressable fire alarm control panels, loop cards, and network interface modules. Ensure hardware meets EN 54-2 and EN 54-4 requirements with full traceability.

Safety & Reliability Analysis: Lead hardware FMEA/FMEDA, single-fault analysis, and MTBF predictions. Design independent hardware watchdogs and fail-safe fault relays to detect CPU or memory failures as mandated by EN 54-2.

STM32 System Integration: Select and deploy STM32H7/F7 MCUs to manage TFT/LCD graphical interfaces, real-time event logging, and multi-loop communication. Implement memory integrity monitoring (ECC, CRC) to support fault detection.

Addressable Loop Circuits: Design constant-current/variable-voltage loop transceivers powering hundreds of addressable devices over long cable runs. Incorporate open-circuit, short-circuit, earth-fault monitoring, Class A/B topologies, and EN 54-17 short-circuit isolator compatibility.

Industrial Communication Bridges: Implement isolated RS-485 (Modbus/BACnet), CAN, Ethernet, and wireless interfaces for panel networking, repeater panels, BMS integration, and alarm transmission.

Power Management & Redundancy: Design internal SMPS, sealed lead-acid battery chargers, deep-discharge protection, fault monitoring, and seamless mains-to-battery changeover compliant with EN 54-4. Calculate standby and alarm-load battery requirements.

Surge, ESD & Isolation Design: Protect field circuits against lightning surges, ESD, and fast transients using galvanic isolation, TVS diodes, and gas discharge tubes. Maintain creepage and clearance per EN 62368-1.

Design for Manufacture & Test: Apply DFM/DFA/DFT principles and IPC-2221 / IPC-A-610 Class 2–3 standards. Support development of end-of-line functional test fixtures with manufacturing teams.

Bring-Up, Verification & HIL Testing: Lead board bring-up, signal and power integrity analysis, worst-case loop-limit testing, and automated hardware-in-the-loop testing using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol sniffers.

EMC, Environmental & Safety Pre-Compliance: Conduct in-house pre-compliance testing against EN 50130-4, EN 61000-6-3 / EN 55032, EN 60068-2, and EN 62368-1. Diagnose and resolve failures prior to formal testing.

Certification Support: Collaborate with compliance leads and certification bodies (e.g., LPCB, VdS, BRE) to prepare technical documentation, attend formal testing, and address non-conformances. Assess impact of hardware changes on re-certification.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Define hardware–firmware interfaces, coordinate with mechanical engineering on enclosure and thermal design, and lead schematic and layout design reviews.

Lifecycle & Supply Chain: Select long-lifecycle components with qualified second sources. Support BOM cost targets, manage obsolescence, and analyze field returns and RMAs.

Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical, Electronics, or Telecommunications Engineering.

Experience: Minimum 5 years in embedded hardware design, with at least one product successfully brought to volume production. Experience in fire detection, life-safety, security, or other safety-critical industrial electronics is highly preferred.

Standards Knowledge: Proficient in EN 54-2 and EN 54-4 hardware requirements, as well as EN 50130-4 and EN 62368-1, with the ability to design compliance from project inception.

PCB CAD Mastery: Advanced skills in Altium Designer or Cadence Allegro for complex multi-layer PCB layouts, including grounding, isolation barriers, and creepage/clearance best practices.

STM32 Ecosystem Expertise: Deep understanding of STM32 hardware architecture, including DMA controllers, FMC interfaces, LTDC/DMA2D display pipelines, hardware encryption, and advanced timers.

Signal Isolation & Protection: Expertise in galvanic isolation techniques and transient suppression methods for field-wired circuits exposed to surges and lightning.

Power Electronics: Practical experience designing isolated and non-isolated switch-mode power supplies and battery charging circuits.

Safety Analysis: Hands-on experience with hardware FMEA and designing for single-fault detection.

EMC Design & Debug: Proven success in passing formal EMC testing, including root cause analysis and remediation of immunity or emissions issues.

Low-Level Software Validation: Proficiency in C/C++ and STM32CubeMX/HAL for bare-metal hardware validation and hardware–software interface verification.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience delivering products with EN 54 approval and CPR CE marking (LPCB, VdS, BRE, or other notified bodies) or UL 864 listing.

Experience with graphical UI acceleration on STM32 platforms (TouchGFX, Chrom-ART/DMA2D).

Familiarity with addressable fire alarm loop protocols and EN 54-13 system compatibility assessments.

Exposure to IEC 61508 or equivalent functional safety design methodologies.

This role offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge safety-critical systems in a collaborative environment, contributing to products that protect lives and property.