FREELANCE EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENGINEER

FREELANCE EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENGINEER (AUDIO / BLUETOOTH) Location: Amsterdam (on-site, with regular office presence expected) Contract: Freelance | Full-time | Expected through the end of December (project-dependent) Start: ASAP ABOUT THE ROLE Loop is looking for an experienced Freelance Embedded Software Engineer to support the final development, validation, and production launch of a next-generation active earbud product. This role provides additional engineering capacity during the critical validation and production phases, helping ensure a successful transition from development to mass production and commercial launch. You'll focus on firmware stabilization, system integration, debugging complex issues, and delivering production-ready firmware. Working closely with Electrical Engineering, Mobile Software Engineering, and Software QA, you'll help resolve technical challenges and ensure a successful product launch. WHAT YOU'LL DELIVER - Stabilize, optimize, and debug embedded firmware across audio, Bluetooth (BLE + BR/EDR), and power management. - Investigate and resolve complex firmware issues impacting audio performance, connectivity, battery life, and overall system reliability. - Support DVT, PVT, and manufacturing builds by resolving release-blocking issues and improving firmware quality. - Collaborate with Electrical Engineering, Mobile Software Engineering, and Software QA to resolve integration issues and support production readiness. - Contribute to firmware releases by identifying technical risks and driving timely resolution. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - Strong Embedded C/C++ experience on ARM-based embedded platforms, ideally with multi-core SoCs. - Experience developing Bluetooth (BLE + BR/EDR) firmware for consumer electronics or other battery-powered devices. - Experience with embedded audio products such as earbuds, headphones, or wearables. - Strong embedded debugging and system integration skills, with experience supporting products through DVT, PVT, and production. - Experience optimizing firmware for low-power operation. - Comfortable working with GitHub, Jira, and cross-functional engineering teams. - Experience with Airoha chipsets and SDKs is a strong advantage. NICE TO HAVE - Experience with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) or audio DSP. - Experience supporting manufacturing or factory validation. - Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - This role is primarily based in our Amsterdam office. We expect a regular on-site presence of 2–3 days per week during quieter project phases, increasing to 4–5 days per week during critical validation, production, and launch activities. - Occasional travel to our Antwerp headquarters may be required to support collaboration, project activities, and key development phases. - Immediate availability is required due to the project's validation and production timeline.