Embedded SW Team Lead

Description New. Photonics develops advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and optical engines for next-generation AI data centers. We are looking for a hands-on Embedded SW Team Lead to lead firmware and software development, QA and testing across our products - from prototypes and hardware bring-up through customer integration and production support.

You will lead a team of 5 engineers, growing it according to company needs, while dedicating approximately 60% of your time to hands-on development, debugging and integration . The scope includes embedded firmware, control software, APIs, PC tools and Microsoft Azure-based applications.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor and grow the Software and Firmware team, own architecture, priorities, resource planning, delivery schedules and release quality. Develop and debug C/C++ firmware for MCU-based control of photonic and electronic systems. Lead development of Python and C#/.NET APIs, backend services, frontend applications, GUIs and automation tools, including Azure-based products.

Drive hardware bring-up and system integration, working closely with Hardware, System, Validation and Photonics teams. Own firmware/software QA, test strategy, automated and hardware-based testing, defect resolution and release readiness. Deliver reliable control, calibration, monitoring and diagnostic software for development, customer integration and manufacturing.

Maintain code quality, documentation and release practices, support customers and partners through technical issue resolution.

Requirements

Requirements Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering. 15+ years of embedded software/firmware development experience, including 10+ years leading software/firmware teams. Strong current hands-on development skills in C/C++, Python and C#/.NET. Deep experience with ARM Cortex-M firmware in bare-metal and non-Linux RTOS environments.

Strong knowledge of drivers, HAL, BSP, bootloaders and interfaces including I2C, SPI, UART, ADCs and DACs. Experience developing Python control/test tools and C#/.NET backend services and frontend user interfaces. Hands-on experience developing, deploying and maintaining Cloud-based products. Strong hardware bring-up and debugging skills, including schematic reading and troubleshooting across hardware, firmware and host software.

Experience leading firmware/software QA and developing automated unit, integration, system and regression tests on target hardware. Proven delivery from prototype through release, using Git, code reviews, structured testing and clear technical documentation. Strong ownership, prioritization and communication skills across engineering and production teams and international customers.

Full-time work from our Petach-Tikva office, no remote or work-from-home arrangements. Advantages Experience leading multidisciplinary R&D projects spanning software, firmware, hardware, and system integration. Experience managing multidisciplinary, multicultural and distributed engineering teams. Experience with Infineon microcontrollers (ex-Cypress families) and STM32 microcontrollers, along with their development environments and debugging tools.

Familiarity with FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX or similar RTOS environments. Experience with laboratory automation, manufacturing tests, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or CI/CD. Experience with photonics, electro-optical systems, optical transceivers or optical communications. Familiarity with optical calibration, laser/temperature control, alignment, and DSP API integration.

Hands-on experience developing, deploying and maintaining Microsoft Azure-based products.