Embedded Firmware Design Engineer
Ripon, WI | Hybrid (3-4 days onsite) | Full-Time
Position Snapshot
Job Title: Embedded Firmware Design Engineer
Location: Ripon, Wisconsin (relocation compensation provided)
Work Model: Hybrid - 3 to 4 days onsite per week
Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire
Department: Product Development / Engineering
Salary Range: $82,000 - $103,000
Travel: Occasional, approximately 10 percent
Company Summary
Our client is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment, headquartered in Ripon, Wisconsin, with over 115 years of industry leadership and a global footprint spanning approximately 150 countries. The company operates a portfolio of premium brands serving laundromats, hotels, hospitals, universities, multi-housing facilities, and on-premises laundry operations worldwide. Recently public on the NYSE, the organization is a stable, well-capitalized industry leader with significant ongoing investment in R&D, product innovation, and U.S. manufacturing expansion.
Position Summary
The Embedded Firmware Design Engineer will write, design, and test embedded firmware for electronic controls used in commercial washing machines, washer-extractors, tumblers, and dryers. This role works within the Product Development team and partners with engineering labs, hardware engineers, manufacturing, and production teams to deliver reliable, efficient firmware on front-end control boards. The position is based in Ripon, WI and operates on a hybrid schedule with 3 to 4 days onsite each week.
Key Responsibilities
• Develop firmware in C for front-end control boards on washing machines, washer-extractors, tumblers, and dryers.
• Design and implement embedded firmware solutions to ensure reliable and efficient product functionality.
• Create detailed test specifications for embedded control systems.
• Collaborate with engineering labs to validate firmware on prototypes and production systems.
• Conduct root cause analysis and resolve firmware issues to ensure reliable product performance.
• Work hands-on with embedded system peripherals such as UART, I2C, Client, PWM, EEPROM, and interrupt timers.
• Debug and optimize firmware to ensure efficient communication between components and peripherals.
• Author engineering change notifications (ECNs) to manage firmware updates and improvements.
• Use Git for version control and issue-tracking tools such as YouTrack for efficient resolution.
• Participate in product development meetings, feature definition sessions, and pilot builds.
• Support manufacturing and production teams by resolving firmware-related issues during production.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 2 years of hands-on firmware development experience for embedded systems.
• Strong, demonstrated proficiency in C programming for embedded environments.
• Hands-on experience with embedded peripherals: UART, I2C, Client, PWM, EEPROM, and interrupt timers.
• Experience with version control systems (Git) and issue-tracking tools.
• Strong debugging skills and familiarity with test-driven development.
• Ability to produce clear and comprehensive technical documentation.
Preferred Qualifications
• Prior experience developing firmware for appliances, industrial controls, or consumer electronics products.
• Experience working with bare-metal microcontrollers and 8/16/32-bit MCU architectures (ARM Cortex-M, PIC, STM32, NXP, Renesas, etc.).
• Experience writing or contributing to engineering change notifications (ECNs) in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with hardware schematics, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG debuggers.
• Experience supporting pilot builds and production launches.
Non-Technical Attributes
• Self-motivated and detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication for cross-functional collaboration.
• Ownership mindset, accountability, and follow-through on commitments.
• Adaptability and willingness to engage hands-on in lab and production environments.
Work Environment & Logistics
• Hybrid schedule with 3 to 4 days onsite at the Ripon, WI headquarters.
• Position involves long periods of sitting, standing, manual dexterity, stooping, bending, and minimal lifting.
• Approximately 10 percent occasional travel.
• Relocation considered for highly vetted candidates with stable life circumstances (family, schooling, housing readiness).
Why This Role
• Join the global leader in commercial laundry equipment with products deployed in laundromats, hotels, hospitals, universities, apartment complexes, fire stations, and more around the world.
• Work on tangible, high-impact products with a direct line of sight from firmware to finished machine.
• Stable, publicly traded employer with strong R&D investment and long-tenured engineering teams.
• Collaborative engineering culture grounded in the company's core values: Dedicated, Respectful, Innovative, Versatile, and Engaged.