Head of Embedded Systems

Company
: Cutting-edge Global Sports Technology and Data

Role
: Head of Embedded Systems

Location
:
Cape Town (Hybrid)

Introduction:

Our client is redefining what's possible in live sports performance analytics. They build ultra-low-latency tracking systems using
Ultra-Wideband (UWB)
and
motion sensing
to capture every movement of players and balls in real time.

You'll work at the intersection of
embedded systems, wireless networking, and sports innovation,
from bare-metal firmware to cloud infrastructure. Their engineering culture thrives on curiosity, experimentation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

If you're a hands-on technical leader who thrives on building precision real-time systems that perform flawlessly in the chaos of live sport, this is your arena.

The Role:

As
Head of Embedded Systems
, you will own the technical vision and execution of our client's embedded software platform. You'll lead the architecture and development of firmware for UWB tracking devices and motion-sensor wearables, ensuring ultra-reliable, low-latency communication and sub-millisecond synchronisation across dense wireless networks.

You will guide a team of embedded engineers through the full development lifecycle — from concept and architecture through to production, deployment, and live testing in stadium environments. This is a
deeply technical leadership role
that requires both strategic direction and hands-on technical excellence.

Technical Leadership:

• Own and evolve the architecture, design, and implementation of our client's embedded firmware stack.
• Define technical strategy across the embedded ecosystem: bootloaders, drivers, RTOS task structures, communication protocols, and test frameworks.
• Establish and enforce robust development processes, including CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and documentation.
• Set and monitor software quality metrics, ensuring performance, reliability, and maintainability.

Team & Project Leadership:

• Lead, mentor, and grow a world-class embedded engineering team.
• Collaborate with hardware, backend, and product teams to deliver end-to-end system performance and scalability.
• Oversee planning, prioritisation, and delivery using Agile/Lean methods.
• Contribute to hiring, roadmap planning, and long-term technology strategy in collaboration with senior management.

Hands-On Development:

• Design and develop firmware in
  C/C++
  for
  bare-metal
  and
  RTOS environments
  (e.g. Zephyr, FreeRTOS).
• Implement and optimise low-level drivers, data acquisition pipelines, and communication stacks (SPI, I2C, UART, USB, BLE, UWB).
• Conduct hardware bring-up, field testing, and debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analysers, and RF tools.
• Support manufacturing, calibration, and production test workflows.

Required Skills & Experience:

• BSc/MSc in Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science.
• 10–15 years in embedded systems development
  , including 5+ years in leadership of technical teams or embedded engineering functions.
• Deep expertise with ARM Cortex-M (STM32) microcontrollers.
• Mastery of Embedded C/C++, RTOS (Zephyr, FreeRTOS), and bare-metal real-time systems.
• Strong understanding of build systems (Makefiles, GCC, CMake), toolchains, and version control (Git).
• Proficiency with memory interfaces (EEPROM, SD, Flash) and communication peripherals (SPI, I2C, UART, USB).
• Competence in Python for scripting, testing, and data analysis.
• Experience developing wireless communication systems — ideally UWB, BLE, or Wi-Fi.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with sensor fusion and IMU data processing.
• Understanding of RF systems, antenna design, and signal integrity.
• Familiarity with Linux, networking (TCP/IP), and bootloaders.
• Experience with CI/test frameworks or hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Exposure to cloud-connected IoT architectures and data streaming systems.

Personal Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with strong hands-on engineering instincts.
• Passionate about sports, technology, and building high-performance systems.
• Strong communicator and mentor.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced startup environment with high autonomy.
• Committed to reliability, precision, and performance in every detail.

Reporting To:

• VP of Engineering

Working Closely With:

• CTO, Hardware Engineers, Backend Developers, Data Science, and Product Teams

Perks and Benefits:

• Hybrid work flexibility