R&D Software Engineer — Creative Lighting Tech | PTO

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ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls), a global leader in entertainment and architectural lighting, is seeking a Software Engineer who is passionate about building exceptional software and helping others grow. This position is based at our Middleton, WI headquarters.

Our software powers Broadway productions, world tours, film studios, houses of worship, and educational institutions worldwide. We’re looking for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment, contributes as a technical authority, and is eager to mentor others while developing professional-grade tools used across the entertainment industry.

What You’ll Do

Engineering Contributions

• Write and review critical code in Rust, C, and C++ for embedded and distributed applications.

• Analyze complex software problems, propose solutions, and apply unique approaches to achieve quality, reliability, and performance goals.

• Contribute to software architecture for embedded Linux systems, real-time applications, and distributed services.

• Promote best practices in Yocto, Zephyr, BSP bring-up, Linux device drivers, and Open Thread networking.

• Lead investigative work, including feasibility studies, prototyping, and research into emerging technologies applicable to ETC products.
Mentorship & Collaboration

• Provide career guidance, hands-on code reviews, and day-to-day technical support to junior and mid-level engineers.

• Lead onboarding bootcamps, workshops, and technical talks to accelerate learning and raise our collective technical bar.

• Model constructive feedback and foster a culture where everyone is both a teacher and a learner.

What We’re Looking For

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent field

• All levels of previous work experience will be considered

• Written and oral communications with marketing, engineering, manufacturing, and R&D management to define and modify product or process specifications

• Written and oral presentation of project schedule and status to engineering or project managers

• Demonstrates awareness and understanding of related technology development both inside and outside ETC

• Creativity and innovation skills required to solve new problems

• Demonstrates ability to make independent decisions

• Demonstrates ability to dissect problems and projects into manageable tasks

• Demonstrates ability to perform multiple tasks and set own priorities

• Well experienced in software development languages (assembler, C, C++, etc.)

• Experienced in the application of software design methodologies

• Grasps a full range of applicable software engineering principles and practices and has the ability for effectively applying accepted approaches to complex engineering problems

• Demonstrates ability to accurately estimate time to complete assigned tasks

• Performs engineering assignments of moderate technical breadth

Preferred Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of professional software development experience in C or C++.

• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and raise technical standards.

• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills in production-grade systems of significant scope.

• Proven ability to work independently and make technical decisions with limited oversight.

• Experience with Rust in production environments.

• Background in embedded Linux development (drivers, BSPs, build systems).

• Familiarity with networking protocols such as Thread or Open Thread.

• Experience in real-time or performance-critical systems.

• Demonstrated success leading research or introducing new technologies into production systems.

Why ETC

• Time Off:
Four weeks of PTO starting your first year.
• Healthcare:
Medical, dental, and vision coverage starting day one.
• Retirement: 401(k) with employer match.
• On-Site Amenities: Fitness center, at-cost deli, wellness programs.
• Employee Ownership: As a 100% employee-owned company, every team member shares in our success through our ESOP.

Join us to build great software—and help others do the same.