Actalent is hiring an Embedded Software Engineer for a mission-critical aerospace embedded software team based in Frederick, MD (fully onsite). This contract to hire role blends hands-on implementation, laboratory testing, and safety/compliance work, with the opportunity to mentor fellow embedded engineers and partner across software, systems, and hardware.
What you’ll do
- Act as both an individual contributor and a mentor, delivering technical guidance and career development support to embedded software engineers.
- Work with senior technical leadership to architect and implement embedded software solutions for aerospace and defense program requirements.
- Design, develop, and maintain embedded software primarily in C, with additional development in C++, Python, and other languages as needed.
- Ensure software compliance with aerospace and defense standards, including AS9115 and DO-178C, emphasizing system safety and reliability.
- Own assigned tasks end to end: monitor and report progress to team leaders, adjust priorities as needed to meet schedule and budget constraints.
- Perform thorough code reviews, enforce coding standards, and maintain software quality across the embedded codebase.
- Coordinate with systems engineering and hardware teams to ensure smooth integration with the overall system architecture.
- Initiate, plan, and execute laboratory testing to validate embedded software functionality, performance, and safety.
- Support safety-compliant software and system safety processes aligned with MIL-STD-882.
- Participate in requirements and compliance management, using appropriate modeling and tools to trace and verify requirements.
Required qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field.
- 5+ years of embedded software development experience for defense or aerospace systems.
- Strong proficiency in Embedded C, including experience on bare-metal platforms and real-time operating systems (RTOS).
- Experience with C++, with additional scripting or development experience in Python.
- Hands-on experience with microcontroller-based embedded systems and low-level software development.
- Experience using embedded development tools such as compilers, debuggers, and version control systems.
- Ability to perform and participate in code reviews and enforce coding standards.
- Strong communication skills across software, systems, and hardware teams.
- Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills to manage tasks, track progress, and adjust priorities.
- Experience in mission-critical, safety-focused aerospace and defense applications using established processes and standards.
- Familiarity with aerospace/defense standards such as AS9115 and DO-178C for system safety.
- Safety-critical systems development experience and familiarity with safety processes in compliance with MIL-STD-882.
- Experience developing embedded software for System-on-Chip (SoC) designs, including RFSoC and similar platforms.
- Background in embedded software for advanced systems, RF front ends, mixed-signal, and digital solutions.
- Experience with requirements and compliance management tools such as DOORS, Visure, or similar platforms.
- Hands-on experience with aerospace/defense embedded platforms and associated test environments.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor and provide technical oversight to embedded software team members.
- Familiarity with mission-critical, high-reliability systems and verification and validation practices.
Technologies
C, C++, Python, Embedded C, RTOS, bare-metal platforms, microcontroller-based embedded systems, System-on-Chip (SoC) designs, RFSoC, AS9115, DO-178C, MIL-STD-882, DOORS, Visure
Compensation and benefits
Pay range: $72.11 - $96.15/hr (hourly). This role is contract to hire and located in Frederick, MD (onsite).
- Medical, dental & vision
- Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
- 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
- Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
- Short and long-term disability
- Health Spending Account (HSA)
- Transportation benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Application deadline: This position is anticipated to close on Sep 21, 2026.
