Lead Software Engineer - Firmware

Lead Firmware Engineer - Access Controls

As a Lead Firmware Engineer here at Honeywell, you will be responsible for providing technical guidance to project teams that will be designing, developing, and implementing software solutions for our Access Controls product line. You will drive the adoption of coding standards, identify and address risks, and provide mitigation solutions. You will be responsible for timely and successful deliveries of software projects and collaboration with business leaders to ensure they align with the overarching business objectives.

You will report directly to our Senior Software Engineering Manager and you’ll work out of our Pittsford, NY location.

Responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define the firmware architecture for an access control reader, including bootloader, HAL, RTOS task decomposition, communication stack, and application layers.
• Drive technology decisions for MCU selection, peripheral drivers, and communication protocols (Wiegand, OSDP, RS-485, I2C, SPI, UART, UWB, BLE, NFC/ISO 14443).
• Evaluate third-party libraries, RTOS options (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, etc.), and middleware components.
• Write production-quality firmware in C and C++, optimizing for code size, execution speed, and power consumption on ARM Cortex-M and/or RISC-V targets.
• Implement and optimize time-critical routines and interrupt service routines in assembly language where required.
• Develop and maintain BSPs, peripheral drivers (GPIO, timers, DMA, ADC, crypto accelerators), and communication protocol stacks.
• Design and implement secure boot, firmware update (OTA/wired), and cryptographic key management features compliant with relevant security standards.
• Integrate hardware security modules (HSE/SE), tamper detection circuits, and anti-cloning protections.
• Develop and execute unit tests, integration tests, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test suites using industry-standard frameworks and custom test harnesses.
• Use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD debuggers, and protocol analyzers to root-cause and resolve hardware/firmware interaction issues.
• Perform static analysis (e.g., PC-lint, Polyspace, Coverity) and address findings to achieve high software reliability.
• Support EMC pre-compliance, environmental testing, and regulatory certification activities (UL, FCC, CE, FIPS 140-2/-3 as applicable).

Qualifications

YOU MUST HAVE

• Expert-level proficiency in C and C++; demonstrated ability to write, review, and optimize embedded C/C++ for constrained targets.
• Hands-on assembly language programming experience (ARM Thumb/Thumb-2 preferred) for ISR optimization, startup code, and low-level hardware access.
• Solid understanding of RTOS concepts: task scheduling, inter-task communication (queues, semaphores, mutexes), memory management, and real-time determinism.
• Deep knowledge of embedded communication protocols: SPI, I2C, UART, USB, RS-485, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), UWB, and NFC / ISO 14443 / ISO 15693.
• Proven experience with ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers (e.g., STM32, NXP LPC/iMX RT, Nordic nRF52/nRF53 series).
• Familiarity with access control industry protocols including Wiegand and OSDP v2.
• Familiarity with wireless firmware development.
• Hands-on experience with agile development methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban, to drive project success.
• Strong debugging skills using JTAG/SWD interfaces, GDB, and professional embedded IDEs (IAR, Keil, VS Code + CMake).
• Experience developing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines for embedded firmware (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar).
• Working knowledge of version control (Git), code review workflows, and release branching strategies.

WE VALUE

• Experience in the physical security, access control, mobile credentialing, or IoT device industry.
• Familiarity with FIPS 140-2 / FIPS 140-3, Common Criteria, or NIST SP 800-193 (Platform Firmware Resiliency) requirements.
• Exposure to hardware security elements (e.g., NXP SE050, ATECC608, internal TrustZone-M) and secure key provisioning workflows.
• Knowledge of low-power design techniques and experience profiling and reducing system power consumption.
• Hands-on experience with Python or Bash for build automation, test scripting, or hardware-in-the-loop frameworks.

Application Period

The application period for the job is estimated to be 40 days from the job posting date; however, this may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. Job Posting Date: June 8, 2026.

Salary and Benefits

The annual base salary for this position is $146,000 - $183,000. Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Honeywell considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.

In addition to a competitive salary, leading-edge work, and developing solutions side-by-side with dedicated experts in their fields, Honeywell employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. This package includes employer subsidized Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance; Short-Term and Long-Term Disability; 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, EAP, and Educational Assistance; Parental Leave, Paid Time Off (for vacation, personal business, sick time, and parental leave), and 12 Paid Holidays. Learn more (https://benefits.honeywell.com/)

About Honeywell

Honeywell International Inc. (Nasdaq: HON) invents and commercializes technologies that address some of the world’s most critical challenges around energy, safety, security, air travel, productivity, and global urbanization. We are a leading software-industrial company committed to introducing state of the art technology solutions to improve efficiency, productivity, sustainability, and safety in high growth businesses in broad-based, attractive industrial end markets. Our products and solutions enable a safer, more comfortable, and more productive world, enhancing the quality of life of people around the globe. Learn more (https://www.honeywell.com/us/en)

The Business Unit

Honeywell Building Automation (BA) is a leading global provider of products, software, solutions, and technologies that enable building owners and occupants to ensure their facilities are safe, energy efficient, sustainable, and productive. BA products and services include advanced software applications for building control and optimization; sensors, switches, control systems, and instruments for energy management; access control; video surveillance; fire products; and installation, maintenance, and upgrades of systems. Revenues in 2022 for BA were $6B and there are approximately 18,000 employees globally.

About Us

Honeywell helps organizations solve the world's most complex challenges in automation, the future of aviation and energy transition. As a trusted partner, we provide actionable solutions and innovation through our Aerospace Technologies, Building Automation, Energy and Sustainability Solutions, and Industrial Automation business segments – powered by our Honeywell Forge software – that help make the world smarter, safer and more sustainable.

Key skills/competency

• Firmware Architecture
• Embedded C/C++
• RTOS
• Communication Protocols
• ARM Cortex-M
• Security Standards
• Test Automation
• Debugging Tools
• Agile Methodologies
• Version Control (Git)