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Principal Firmware Engineer - IoT

Milwaukee Tool · Brookfield, WI · Full time

Posted Aug 21, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about an over-the-air update system you built or improved.

What they are checking: Experience delivering safe OTA updates that do not brick devices.

How do you work with cloud and mobile teams to define the data a device sends?

What they are checking: Cross-team design of interfaces that last across product generations.

Tell me about a time you guided a team through a major architecture decision.

What they are checking: Principal-level technical leadership and consensus building.

What would you do

Field reports say tools sometimes drop their connection on jobsites. How do you investigate?

What they are checking: Structured debugging of radio, interference and app-side issues in harsh settings.

How would you balance adding a new connected feature against battery life?

What they are checking: Tradeoff thinking grounded in what users actually value.

About the work

Walk me through how you would design Bluetooth Low Energy communication between a tool and a phone app.

What they are checking: Deep BLE knowledge including services, pairing and power use.

How do you secure a connected tool against tampering or unauthorized access?

What they are checking: Security thinking around encryption, secure boot and authentication for IoT devices.

How do you design firmware for a tracking tag that must run for years on a small battery?

What they are checking: Low-power design habits and measuring current draw in real use.

What wireless certifications and regulations have you dealt with?

What they are checking: Awareness of FCC and other approvals that gate a connected product launch.

How do you test connectivity across many phone models and operating system versions?

What they are checking: Practical test strategies for a fragmented phone ecosystem.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Milwaukee Tool.

Job Description: Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.; Sponsorship is not available for this position at this time. INNOVATE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES ! At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success – so we give you unlimited access to everything you need to create disruptive new technologies and solutions on our electrical engineering teams. Our Engineering Team is responsible for giving life to the batteries, motors, and electronics that power solutions changing the lives of our users. Every developmental phase of these critical components happens in-house under the watch of this team. We continue to invest in electrical engineering resources to design and develop leadership in electronic capabilities; something unique within the industry. And we’re pushing the limits in firmware engineering, power electronics, embedded systems, machine learning, and the use of artificial intelligence. Behind our doors you’ll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to design and develop the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you’ll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen. Year after year, our team continues to make significant breakthroughs in the industry. We’re just getting started. To learn more about our story click HERE . The Principal Firmware Engineer - IoT will lead the design, implementation, and testing of embedded Internet of Things wireless systems and identify engineering trends to drive strategies and Milwaukee Tool’s technical direction. You will work through the product development process in a team environment interacting with cross-functional stakeholders such as hardware, firmware, mechanical, product development, and reliability engineers. You’ll also be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities: • Be a core contributor on a small to medium size team of firmware engineers for the design, prototype, test, and troubleshooting of platform communications firmware to meet the needs of the organization. • Collaborate with marketing, project leadership, and product owners to add new IoT features for next generation power tools. • Mentor the team in engineering best practices including C/C++ firmware development, task management, root cause analysis, unit testing, and RTOS. • Use laboratory equipment such as network, power, spectrum, and protocol analyzers, oscilloscopes, and data acquisition systems. • Create firmware test strategies designed to provide coverage at the appropriate requirement level and drive automation on these test strategies. • Work with component suppliers and manufacturers for proper component selection on existing projects and providing input into future product needs. • Quickly, effectively, and candidly frame-up and escalate business risks/opportunities to senior leadership. • Effectively communicate and motivate up, down and across the organization to a diverse range of technical and non-technical team members. • Drive urgency in project schedules and accountability for establishing and achieving key project metrics that meet the organization’s needs. • Ensure the team is given the time and resources required to succeed by creating and managing robust project roadmaps and resource plans with converged project scope. What TOOLS you’ll bring with you: • Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field. • 7+ years of experience in a design related role. • Strong understanding and knowledge of common wireless communications protocols such as Bluetooth Low Energy, Cellular, Wi-Fi, Zig-bee, or LoRa. • Understanding of wireless communications, embedded systems, and PCBA manufacturing. • Analog and digital system tradeoffs and design, including signal integrity and noise analysis. • Experience in C++ RTOS programming targeted at an implementation on microcontrollers. • Excellent problem-solving skills, exercises independent judgement and works well under pressure in a dynamic environment. • Self-motivated, organized, efficient, process oriented with a strong work ethic. • Ability to travel 10% of the time (domestic and international). Other TOOLS we prefer you to have: • Experience designing Bluetooth Low Energy products. • Expertise in C and C++ programming for low power communications microcontrollers. • Background in embedded development using FreeRTOS. • Knowledge of the CMake build system. • Experience developing on a common firmware platform that satisfies the requirements for multiple products. We provide these great perks and benefits: • Robust health, dental and vision insurance plans. • Generous 401 (K) savings plan. • Education assistance. • On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service. • And many more, check out our benefits site HERE . Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.

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