Lead Embedded Systems Engineer

Position Summary

Screen Innovations is seeking a Lead Embedded Systems Engineer to own the architecture, design, development, validation, and support of the company's controls ecosystem.

This role is responsible for embedded hardware, firmware, wireless communications, IoT architecture, motor integration, power distribution, and automation technologies supporting the Screen Innovations product portfolio.

The successful candidate will serve as the technical owner for products including Troy, Helen, Kratos, future communications devices, future motor platforms, and next-generation automation technologies.

This is a high-impact role for an engineer who wants to build and shape a proprietary controls platform rather than simply maintain an existing codebase.

Reporting directly to the Chief Engineer, this individual will drive product development from concept through production while working closely with internal teams, external technology providers, motor manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and engineering partners.

Primary Responsibilities

Controls Ecosystem Ownership

• Own the technical roadmap for the Screen Innovations controls platform, including hardware, firmware, wireless communications, motor controls, and connected devices.
• Serve as technical owner for Troy, Helen, Kratos, future controls products, proprietary wireless platforms, and connected motor-control devices.
• Establish platform standards for architecture, firmware quality, wireless performance, security, testability, release readiness, and serviceability.
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, scalability, dealer experience, customer experience, manufacturability, and long-term product support.

Embedded Hardware & Firmware Development

• Design embedded hardware platforms and firmware architectures for controllers, gateways, wireless bridge devices, communication devices, and motor-control products.
• Select and evaluate processors, microcontrollers, wireless chipsets, power-management devices, sensors, antenna solutions, and communication components, including low-power MCUs and SoCs such as ARM Cortex-M and Silicon Labs EFR32-class platforms.
• Create, review, and mark up schematics and multi-layer PCB/PCA layouts using Altium Designer or comparable PCB design tools.
• Support PCB bring-up, prototype debugging, validation testing, production release, and design-for-manufacturing, design-for-test, and design-for-serviceability improvements.
• Develop production-quality embedded firmware in C/C++ for resource-constrained controllers, gateways, communication devices, and motor-control products.
• Develop communication interfaces, commissioning flows, diagnostics, provisioning, recovery capabilities, OTA update capabilities, and firmware release workflows.
• Develop system monitoring, fault detection, telemetry, security, and error-recovery functionality for connected field devices.
• Debug prototype, production, and field issues using logs, serial traces, packet captures, packet sniffers, JTAG/SWD debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and related diagnostic tools.

Wireless, IoT & Network Architecture

• Serve as company subject matter expert for Zigbee-based communications and future wireless control technologies.
• Develop and support Zigbee Coordinators, Routers, and End Devices, including commissioning, pairing, routing, recovery, and mesh reliability.
• Design and troubleshoot Zigbee mesh network architectures for multi-device shade, screen, and motorized installation environments.
• Architect gateway, IP bridge, and multi-coordinator approaches for large-scale or complex dealer installations.
• Analyze routing performance, latency, RF range, interference, antenna and enclosure impacts, network reliability, and field-installation impacts on wireless performance.
• Work directly with Silicon Labs, Texas Instruments, wireless module suppliers, and other wireless technology partners.
• Evaluate emerging technologies including Matter over Thread, Thread, BLE, Sub-GHz, and future smart-building communication standards.

Wired Communications, Motor Controls & Power Systems

• Develop products supporting Ethernet, PoE, RS-485, TCP/IP, UART, SPI, I2C, and related serial communication interfaces.
• Define communication architectures between controllers, motors, gateways, IP bridges, cloud services, and third-party automation systems.
• Work directly with motor manufacturers to define next-generation motor communications, firmware behavior, drive electronics, and integration requirements.
• Support tubular, DC brushed, BLDC, stepper, low-voltage, battery-powered, and PoE-powered motor technologies for shade, screen, and automation applications.
• Develop and evaluate motor-control behavior including speed ramping, torque and current limits, position tracking, limit management, obstruction detection, recovery behavior, thermal performance, acoustics, and energy consumption.

Systems Integration, Validation & Product Support

• Support integration with Control4, Crestron, Savant, Josh AI, Lutron, and other automation ecosystems.
• Develop APIs, communication requirements, integration architectures, and interoperability requirements for third-party automation platforms.
• Develop validation plans, qualification requirements, acceptance criteria, and product release requirements.
• Lead product verification, validation, firmware regression, wireless reliability, motor performance, environmental testing, and production readiness reviews.
• Develop or support automated test fixtures, production test procedures, diagnostic tools, manufacturing diagnostics, and field-support reporting capabilities.
• Perform root cause investigations on field failures, wireless issues, firmware defects, PCB/PCA issues, manufacturing issues, supplier issues, and corrective actions.
• Support customer service, quality, manufacturing, and dealer support organizations with technical analysis, documentation, and issue resolution.

Supplier, Technology & IP Management

• Serve as primary technical interface with motor suppliers, wireless technology providers, silicon suppliers, PCB design partners, firmware contractors, and contract manufacturers.
• Develop technical requirements, product specifications, architecture documentation, supplier design requirements, and technical risk assessments.
• Lead design reviews, supplier qualification activities, technology assessments, and product launch support while maintaining ownership of overall system architecture.
• Contribute to IP documentation, invention disclosures, and potential patent filings to help protect proprietary technical developments.

• Competitive base salary
• Direct access to company leadership and real ownership over your technical domain
• Opportunity to shape a proprietary wireless platform from the ground up
• Collaborative, low-bureaucracy environment with fast decision-making
• Health benefits, PTO
• Austin, TX headquarters

What You Bring