Embedded Software Engineer

As an Embedded Software Engineer, you develop firmware that directly interfaces with sensors and hardware, forming the foundation of Xsens’ sensing and positioning systems. You will work in a multidisciplinary team and report to the Manager Firmware Engineering. You collaborate closely with senior engineers who provide technical direction and guidance. In this role, you are responsible for building reliable, high-performance embedded software that operates in real-world conditions across a variety of applications and domains, including robotics, mobility, and industrial systems. You go beyond implementing specifications: you seek to understand system behavior, hardware constraints, and real-world usage, contributing to robust and efficient solutions. You bring energy to the team, pick up topics others have not claimed, and drive them to a conclusion. We actively leverage modern development tools, including generative AI, to accelerate development, improve code quality, and streamline engineering workflows. You are expected to be comfortable adopting these tools and exploring how they can enhance productivity and engineering outcomes. You take ownership of your work end-to-end - from design and implementation to testing and validation - and collaborate with your team on complex system-level challenges., + Design, develop, and maintain embedded software and firmware in C/C++

• Translate system and product requirements into efficient embedded solutions
• Develop firmware for new and existing sensor platforms
• Ensure high reliability and performance in real-time and resource-constrained environments
• Contribute to system behavior including data processing, sensor integration, and communication across wireless and wired interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth, 802.15.4, WiFi, CAN, Ethernet)
• Implement and optimize algorithms (e.g., sensor fusion, positioning) on embedded platforms
• Design and execute unit tests and functional tests
• Collaborate closely with Hardware, Application Software, QA, and Lead Engineers
• Analyze and debug issues across hardware/software boundaries
• Continuously improve system performance, robustness, and development practices

• Take ownership of your work and ensure reliable delivery within agreed scope and timelines Key challenges:

• Developing reliable embedded software in real-world, hardware-constrained environments, operating across the boundary of hardware, firmware, and higher-level systems
• Designing and maintaining robust communication across multiple interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth, 802.15.4, WiFi, CAN, Ethernet), balancing latency, bandwidth, power consumption, and reliability
• Making pragmatic trade-offs between performance, power consumption, memory, and maintainability

We are looking for engineers who combine strong embedded expertise with a system-oriented and pragmatic mindset. What we value in this role

• You take ownership and deliver reliable, high-quality results
• You think in terms of system behavior, not just code
• You are curious about how software interacts with hardware and real-world systems
• You proactively identify issues and improvements
• You collaborate effectively across disciplines

• You are comfortable working in an environment with evolving requirements Furthermore, you bring:

• Proven experience in embedded software development
• Strong C/C++ programming skills in embedded environments
• Ability to read and understand hardware schematics (digital electronics)
• Experience with real-time systems, debugging, and performance optimization; familiarity with RTOS environments (e.g., FreeRTOS) is a plus
• Experience debugging across hardware and software layers
• Familiarity with sensor systems, positioning, or signal processing is a plus (e.g., IMU, GNSS, visual odometry)
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Embedded Systems, or related field

• Strong communication skills in English (Dutch is a plus) Nice to haves:

• Experience using generative AI tools to support software development and improve productivity is a plus
• Experience with communication protocols and interfaces such as Bluetooth, 802.15.4, Wi-Fi, CAN bus, or Ethernet
• Experience with microcontrollers and low-level programming (STM32 and/or Nordic nRF is a plus) Working at Xsens

Do you have a strong background in embedded software and C/C++? Do you want to work on high-performance systems that operate at the intersection of sensors, real-time processing, and intelligent applications? Join Xsens and help build the foundation for next-generation motion intelligence across robotics, mobility, and human-centered technologies. Who is Xsens Xsens is a leading full-stack provider of sensors, software, and analytics that enable the digitization of movement. Xsens serves entertainment, humanoid robotics, health & sports and automation & mobility markets. By turning complex motion data into actionable insight, we help our partners accelerate development, improve control and learning, and bring physically intelligent systems to life. We collaborate with leading global innovators including Boston Dynamics, Toyota, Siemens, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Netflix, and 20th Century Studios, alongside more than 1,000 research institutions, humanoid robotics companies and universities worldwide.