Senior Software Engineer Embedded UI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Software Engineer Embedded UI

Company: Garmin International, Inc.

Location: Olathe, Kansas, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Embedded Software Engineering / UI Development

Date Posted: 2026-07-15

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead high-level embedded software development for Marine chartplotter products, focusing on robust and efficient code.

• Design and architect complex software systems and modules, ensuring performance and scalability.

• Implement advanced algorithmic solutions to fundamental technical challenges within the embedded UI space.

• Mentor and guide less experienced software engineers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment.

• Contribute to technical research and process improvement initiatives to enhance development methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is for a Software Engineer, the emphasis on "Embedded UI" and "Marine chartplotter products" suggests a focus on user interface development within constrained hardware environments. This implies a need for optimizing UI performance, responsiveness, and visual fidelity on embedded systems, which is a specialized area within software engineering. The "Senior" designation indicates a leadership component, particularly in technical decision-making and mentorship.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement high-level embedded software for Marine chartplotter products using C and/or C++.

• Architect and review complex software systems and modules, ensuring they meet new technology requirements or improve existing functionality.

• Decompose high-level functional requirements into detailed, well-defined engineering tasks.

• Research and implement appropriate algorithmic solutions for complex technical problems.

• Provide peer technical assessments on software designs, new technologies, and architectural decisions.

• Collaborate with design engineering on component datasheet review and schematic design review to ensure hardware-software integration.

• Participate in project leadership by providing technical input for product development plans and concept documents.

• Make significant contributions to project goal feasibility assessments and set realistic schedules and risk mitigation strategies.

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior software engineers (levels 1 & 2).

• Engage in advanced technical research on emerging technologies relevant to embedded systems and marine electronics.

• Propose and implement process improvements and author new procedural documentation.

• Deliver reliable and robust solutions to a wide range of complex problems using sound engineering principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on coding, architectural design, technical leadership, and process improvement, typical of a senior-level engineering role. The focus on "Marine segment" and "chartplotter products" indicates specific domain knowledge and application areas. The mention of "algorithm solutions" and "data structures" points to the need for strong foundational computer science skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Math, Physics, or a related technical field.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional software development experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Skills:

• Mastered proficiency in writing software in C and/or C++.

• Demonstrated proficiency in designing well-architectured software systems and modules.

• Proven experience in decomposing functional requirements into well-defined tasks.

• Strong understanding and application of data structures and object-oriented design methodology.

• Demonstrated ability to research fundamental problems and implement appropriate algorithmic solutions.

• Experience in providing peer technical assessments on software designs and new technologies.

• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to be a positive, detail-oriented, organized, and driven problem-solver.

• Ability to multitask, prioritize effectively, and operate as a self-starter in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Preferred Skills:

• Outstanding academic record (cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher).

• Familiarity with the design, development, and testing of high-level application code, specifically including user interface (UI) development.

• Experience with version control systems such as Git.

• Experience with project tracking and collaboration tools like JIRA.

• Experience with Azure DevOps (ADO) for software development lifecycle management.

• A passion for boating or other on-the-water activities, demonstrating domain interest.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Basic Qualifications" list C, C++, C#, or Java, but the core responsibilities and desired qualifications strongly emphasize C and C++. The "Mastered proficiency" in C/C++ is a critical requirement. The distinction between "Basic" and "Desired" qualifications is important for candidates to understand prioritization. The inclusion of C# and Java in the basic list might suggest some flexibility or related experience, but C/C++ is clearly the focus for this specific role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate experience in architecting and designing complex software systems and modules, showcasing a clear understanding of software architecture principles.

• Provide examples of algorithmic solutions implemented to solve specific, challenging technical problems, highlighting the problem, the solution, and the quantifiable impact.

• Showcase projects where functional requirements were decomposed into well-defined tasks, illustrating your ability to break down complex work.

• Include examples of code written in C and/or C++, demonstrating clean, efficient, and well-documented code.

• If applicable, present case studies of UI development for embedded systems, focusing on user experience, performance, and responsiveness. Process Documentation:

• Illustrate your approach to requirement decomposition and task breakdown in past projects.

• Detail your methodology for researching and implementing algorithmic solutions, including any systematic approaches used.

• Showcase examples of how you've contributed to or led technical assessments of software designs and new technologies.

• Provide evidence of contributions to product development plans, concept documents, or technical proposals.

• Include documentation or examples of process improvement suggestions you have made or implemented.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Software Engineer role, especially one involving embedded systems and UI, a portfolio should not just contain code. It should demonstrate the engineer's ability to think architecturally, solve complex algorithmic problems, manage requirements, and ideally, contribute to process improvements. The "Desired Qualifications" about UI development and specific tools (Git, JIRA, ADO) should also be reflected in portfolio examples if possible.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Software Engineers with 5-10 years of experience in the Olathe, Kansas area, the estimated salary range is $110,000 - $150,000 per year. This estimate accounts for the required technical expertise in C/C++, embedded systems, UI development, and leadership responsibilities. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate's specific qualifications, experience, and performance during the interview process.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Includes medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Retirement Program: Likely includes a 401(k) plan with potential company match.

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Includes vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Life and Disability Insurance: Provides financial protection for employees and their families.

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP): Potential for employees to purchase company stock.

• Wellness Programs: Initiatives focused on employee health and well-being.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, conferences, and certifications.

• Relocation Assistance: May be available for qualified candidates moving to the Olathe area. Working Hours:

The standard working hours for this full-time role are approximately 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday. While Garmin operates in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, there may be some flexibility in daily start and end times, subject to team and project needs. Occasional overtime may be required to meet project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on typical compensation for Senior Software Engineers in the Kansas City metropolitan area with the specified experience and technical requirements. The benefits listed are common for large technology companies like Garmin and are aligned with the information provided in the job description and general industry standards.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Electronics / GPS Technology / Aviation / Marine / Automotive

Company Size: Garmin International, Inc. is a large, established technology company, typically employing over 19,000 associates globally. This size offers stability, extensive resources, and opportunities for career advancement, while also potentially having more structured processes.

Founded: Garmin was founded in 1989, bringing decades of experience and innovation in GPS technology and related fields. This history signifies a deep-rooted expertise and a proven track record of product development and market leadership.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the Marine segment, suggesting a specialized team focused on developing products for the boating industry.

• The team likely consists of software engineers with varying levels of experience, from junior to senior, and potentially leads or managers.

• Collaboration will occur with hardware engineers, product managers, QA testers, and potentially UI/UX designers.

• The reporting structure will likely be to a Software Engineering Manager or Lead Engineer within the Marine division. Methodology:

• Garmin utilizes established software development methodologies, likely incorporating elements of Agile (Scrum/Kanban) for iterative development and efficient project management.

• Emphasis is placed on rigorous testing, code reviews, and adherence to quality standards, especially for safety-critical applications like marine navigation.

• A data-driven approach is probable, using metrics to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and measure the success of new features or system improvements.

• The company is known for its focus on innovation and continuous improvement, encouraging engineers to explore new technologies and optimize existing processes.

Company Website: https://careers.garmin.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Garmin's reputation for innovation and quality in specialized technology sectors (aviation, marine, automotive) suggests a culture that values technical excellence, precision, and a deep understanding of user needs within those domains. The "Marine segment" focus implies a team dedicated to understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within the boating world.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as a "Senior Software Engineer," indicating a mid-to-late career stage. It requires a high degree of technical autonomy, problem-solving capability, and the ability to lead complex technical initiatives. The engineer is expected to be a significant individual contributor and a mentor to others.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Software Engineer will likely report to a Software Engineering Manager or a Technical Lead within the Marine division. They will work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including hardware engineers, product managers, and quality assurance personnel.

Operations Impact: The work of this Senior Software Engineer directly impacts the functionality, performance, and user experience of Garmin's marine chartplotter products. Their contributions are critical to delivering reliable navigation, safety, and entertainment features to boaters, thereby influencing customer satisfaction, product adoption, and ultimately, Garmin's market share and revenue in the marine segment.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in embedded systems, UI/UX for embedded devices, specific marine technologies, or advanced C/C++ programming techniques.

• Technical Leadership: Progress to a Lead Software Engineer or Architect role, taking on greater responsibility for technical direction, system design, and team guidance on larger projects.

• Management Track: Transition into a Software Engineering Manager role, focusing on people management, project planning, and team development.

• Cross-Segment Mobility: With experience in the Marine segment, opportunities may arise to contribute to other Garmin segments (e.g., Aviation, Automotive, Outdoor) by leveraging transferable embedded systems skills.

• Continuous Learning: Participate in internal training programs, external conferences, and pursue certifications to stay abreast of the latest technologies and best practices in embedded software development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a level of autonomy and influence. The growth opportunities highlight both vertical (leadership, management) and horizontal (specialization, cross-segment) career paths within Garmin, which is a significant advantage for ambitious engineers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This role is based at Garmin's U.S. headquarters in Olathe, Kansas. It is an on-site position within a large, modern corporate campus designed to foster collaboration and innovation.

Office Location(s): The primary work location is 1200 E 151st STREET, Olathe, Kansas, 66062, within the Greater Kansas City area. This location offers access to a growing tech hub with a reasonable cost of living.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office is likely equipped with modern amenities to support teamwork, including meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, and potentially shared development environments.

• Tools and Technology: Engineers will have access to industry-standard development tools, high-performance workstations, and potentially specialized hardware for embedded testing and debugging.

• Team Interaction: The on-site nature allows for direct, face-to-face interaction with team members, fostering quick problem-solving, knowledge sharing, and team cohesion. Proximity to other Garmin departments facilitates cross-functional collaboration.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, typically Monday through Friday, with standard business hours. While deadlines may necessitate occasional extended hours, Garmin generally promotes a work-life balance. The office environment allows for structured workdays with opportunities for breaks and interaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: Being on-site at a major tech company headquarters means access to resources and a professional working environment. The emphasis on "Marine segment" suggests the engineer will be working with a dedicated team within this larger corporate structure.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and conduct a brief phone screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Technical Phone Interview: Expect a technical discussion focusing on C/C++ proficiency, data structures, object-oriented design, and algorithmic problem-solving. You may be asked to whiteboard or code simple problems.

• On-Site/Virtual Interview Loop: This typically involves multiple interviews with different team members, including senior engineers, potential peers, and the hiring manager.

  • Technical Deep Dive: Expect in-depth discussions on embedded systems, UI development challenges, system architecture, and debugging strategies. You will likely be asked to discuss your experience with C/C++ in complex projects.
  • Coding Challenge: A more involved coding exercise, potentially live or take-home, focusing on embedded UI concepts or algorithmic efficiency.
  • System Design/Architecture: You may be asked to design a system or module, discuss trade-offs, and justify your architectural choices.
  • Behavioral/Situational Questions: Questions assessing your problem-solving approach, teamwork, mentorship capabilities, and how you handle challenging situations.

• Portfolio Presentation (if requested): Be prepared to walk through selected projects from your portfolio, explaining your role, the technical challenges, your solutions, and the outcomes.

• Final Interview: May involve a discussion with a higher-level manager or director to assess overall fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your C/C++ skills, embedded systems experience, UI development, and problem-solving abilities.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you solved, your specific contributions, the technologies used (especially C/C++, embedded, UI), the challenges encountered, and the quantifiable results or improvements achieved (e.g., performance gains, reduced memory usage, improved responsiveness).

• Showcase Architecture: Highlight any architectural designs, module breakdowns, or algorithmic solutions you developed. Use diagrams or flowcharts if helpful.

• Code Quality: If sharing code samples, ensure they are clean, well-commented, and demonstrate good coding practices.

• UI Specifics: For UI-focused projects, be ready to discuss user experience considerations, performance optimizations for embedded displays, and interaction design.

• Tool Proficiency: Mention your experience with Git, JIRA, and Azure ADO in the context of your projects.

Challenge Preparation:

• Refresh C/C++ Fundamentals: Review core language features, memory management, pointers, templates, and standard library components.

• Practice Algorithmic Problems: Work through problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar, focusing on data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, recursion).

• Embedded Systems Concepts: Understand concepts like real-time operating systems (RTOS), memory constraints, interrupt handling, device drivers, and low-level hardware interaction.

• UI Design for Embedded: Familiarize yourself with challenges like limited screen real estate, input methods, performance optimization for rendering, and user interaction design on constrained devices.

• System Design: Practice designing scalable and efficient systems, considering trade-offs in performance, memory, and complexity.

• Behavioral Framework: Prepare answers using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for common behavioral questions related to teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a senior engineering role at a company like Garmin will be rigorous. Emphasis will be placed on both deep technical expertise (C/C++, embedded, UI) and the ability to lead and mentor. A strong portfolio that clearly demonstrates these capabilities is crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Programming Languages: C, C++ (primary focus), C#, Java (mentioned as possibility).

• Version Control: Git (strongly preferred).

• Project Management/Issue Tracking: JIRA, Microsoft Azure ADO (strongly preferred).

• Development Environments: IDEs such as Visual Studio, CLion, or similar, tailored for embedded development.

• Debugging Tools: Emulators, simulators, JTAG debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes for embedded hardware debugging.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated for this role, internal tools for code profiling, performance analysis, and bug tracking are likely used.

• Metrics related to build times, test coverage, and defect rates would be tracked. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this embedded software engineering role, as it's not customer-facing operations. However, understanding how their software integrates with broader Garmin systems might be relevant.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Git, JIRA, and Azure ADO as "Desired Qualifications" indicates these are highly valued tools for collaboration and workflow management within Garmin's engineering teams. Proficiency in these tools will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Technical Excellence: A strong emphasis on writing high-quality, efficient, and reliable code, particularly in C/C++.

• Innovation: Encouraging engineers to explore new technologies and creative solutions for complex problems.

• Collaboration: Fostering a team-oriented environment where engineers work together, share knowledge, and support each other.

• Customer Focus: Developing products that meet the specific needs and expectations of users within the marine industry.

• Integrity & Quality: Upholding high standards in all aspects of development, from design to testing, ensuring product reliability.

• Continuous Improvement: Actively seeking ways to enhance processes, tools, and product performance.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional: Engineers are expected to collaborate closely with hardware teams, product management, QA, and potentially UX/UI designers.

• Mentorship: Senior engineers play a key role in mentoring junior team members, providing guidance and fostering skill development.

• Peer Review: A culture of peer code reviews and technical assessments is likely in place to ensure code quality and share best practices.

• Open Communication: Encouraging open dialogue to resolve technical challenges efficiently and share insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: Garmin's culture is generally known for its engineering-centric approach, valuing deep technical expertise and a commitment to product quality. The "Marine segment" focus will add a layer of industry-specific passion and understanding to this broader corporate culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Performance and Features: Developing complex UI features for embedded systems while maintaining high performance, responsiveness, and low resource consumption (CPU, memory).

• Hardware-Software Integration: Ensuring seamless and robust integration between the embedded software and the underlying hardware components of the chartplotter.

• Real-time Constraints: Meeting strict real-time requirements for navigation and user interaction in a marine environment.

• Legacy Codebase/System Evolution: Potentially working with existing codebases and evolving them to incorporate new technologies and features.

• Cross-functional Dependencies: Managing dependencies and ensuring alignment with other engineering disciplines and product management timelines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced C/C++ and Embedded Systems: Opportunities to deepen expertise in advanced programming techniques and the intricacies of embedded development.

• UI/UX for Embedded Devices: Learning specialized skills in designing and implementing user interfaces for constrained hardware.

• Marine Domain Knowledge: Gaining in-depth understanding of marine navigation, charting, and boating technology.

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Developing leadership skills through mentoring junior engineers and potentially leading technical initiatives.

• Exposure to Diverse Technologies: Learning about Garmin's broader technology stack and potentially contributing to other product segments.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to professional development resources, conferences, and training programs relevant to embedded software and UI development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior embedded UI roles, requiring a strong problem-solving mindset. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering paths for both technical mastery and leadership development within a leading technology company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Technical Strategy: "Describe a complex embedded system you designed or significantly contributed to. What were the key architectural decisions and trade-offs you made, particularly concerning performance and resource constraints?" "How do you approach decomposing complex functional requirements into manageable software tasks for an embedded UI project?" "Walk me through your process for debugging a challenging issue in a C/C++ embedded environment. What tools and techniques do you employ?"

• Collaboration & Mentorship: "Tell me about a time you mentored a junior engineer. What was the situation, your approach, and the outcome?" "How do you handle disagreements with team members or stakeholders regarding technical direction or design choices?" "Describe your experience working in an Agile development environment. How do you contribute to sprint planning and retrospectives?"

• Problem-Solving: "Imagine you need to implement a smooth, animated transition on a low-power embedded display. What approach would you take, considering performance and memory limitations?" "How would you design a system to handle asynchronous events from multiple hardware sensors in a real-time marine navigation system?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you specifically about Garmin and the Marine segment?"

• "How do you see your skills in C/C++ and embedded UI development contributing to our chartplotter products?"

• "Describe your ideal team environment and how you contribute to a positive team culture."

• "How do you stay current with emerging technologies and best practices in software engineering?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation with a clear beginning (problem), middle (solution/your role), and end (results/impact).

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics whenever possible (e.g., "reduced load time by 20%", "decreased memory footprint by 15%", "handled X concurrent operations").

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals like diagrams, screenshots, or short video clips if possible to illustrate your work, especially for UI aspects.

• Highlight Your Role: Be precise about your contributions, especially in team projects.

• Address Desired Skills: Explicitly mention your experience with Git, JIRA, and Azure ADO in the context of your projects.

• Enthusiasm: Convey genuine interest in Garmin's products and the challenges of embedded UI development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be assessing not only your technical prowess but also your ability to lead, mentor, and integrate into Garmin's engineering culture. Preparing specific examples using the STAR method and having a well-rehearsed portfolio presentation will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Software Engineer position:

• Submit your application through the Garmin careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your C/C++ expertise, embedded systems experience, UI development skills, and any experience with Git, JIRA, or Azure ADO. Prepare 2-3 key projects for potential portfolio discussion, focusing on quantifiable results and your specific contributions.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly lists your years of experience, relevant education, and technical skills. Use keywords from the job description such as "Embedded Software," "C/C++," "UI Development," "Software Architecture," and "Algorithm Design." Quantify achievements whenever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice answering technical questions related to C/C++, data structures, algorithms, and embedded systems. Prepare to discuss your portfolio projects in detail and practice behavioral questions using the STAR method.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Garmin's products, especially in the Marine segment. Understand their commitment to innovation and quality. Research their company culture and values to articulate your fit.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.