Embedded Software Engineer

Actalent; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 106,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Time Off/Leave

Job summary

Actalent offers an Embedded Software Engineer role focused on designing, implementing, and maintaining embedded C software for onboard signalling and train control systems. The position emphasizes safety-critical functions, real-time deterministic behavior, and adherence to rigorous safety lifecycle processes.

The role involves collaboration with hardware, V&V, and safety teams, and requires strong documentation and defensive coding practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 58 years of professional software development experience using C.
• Expert-level proficiency in C for embedded, real-time environments.
• Strong understanding of real-time concepts, including scheduling, interrupts, concurrency, memory constraints, and hardware interaction.
• Hands-on experience developing embedded software that interfaces with processors, I/O modules, communication buses, and safety peripherals.
• Experience working in structured, audited, configuration-controlled development environments.
• Proven ability to write clear and comprehensive software requirements.
• Ability to ensure deterministic behavior and robust error handling in real-time systems.
• Experience applying defensive coding practices and fault-tolerant design strategies in safety-critical applications.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain embedded C software for onboard signalling and train control systems.
• Develop software for safety-related functions such as automatic train protection, communications handling, timing synchronization, diagnostics, and fault management.
• Work closely with onboard hardware, including processors, I/O modules, communication buses, and safety-related peripherals.
• Ensure deterministic execution and robust error handling in a real-time embedded environment.
• Develop software in accordance with safety lifecycle requirements for railway control and protection systems.
• Contribute to safety documentation, including software requirements, architecture descriptions, and detailed design specifications.
• Implement defensive coding techniques and fault-tolerant strategies suitable for train safety systems.
• Collaborate closely with project engineering, systems engineering, signalling design, hardware, verification and validation (V&V), and safety assurance teams throughout the development lifecycle.
• Write clear, testable, and traceable software requirements for embedded control functions.
• Contribute to system architecture trade-offs involving performance, safety, maintainability, and certification impact.
• Participate in structured, audited, and configuration-controlled development processes to ensure high-quality and traceable software deliverables.

Skills

C language expertise

Embedded C

Real-time concepts

Embedded software interfaces

Audit-ready development

Requirements writing

Deterministic RT behavior

Defensive coding

Railway safety domain

Safety lifecycle

Cross-functional teamwork

System architecture decisions

Analytical skills

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Engineering or related

Tools

N/A

Job description

Job Title

Embedded Software Engineer

Job Description

This role focuses on designing, implementing, and maintaining embedded C software for onboard signalling and train control systems. The engineer develops software for critical safety-related functions, including automatic train protection, communications handling, timing synchronization, diagnostics, and fault management, while ensuring deterministic execution, robust error handling, and compliance with real-time and safety lifecycle requirements for railway control and protection systems. The position involves close collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams and significant contribution to safety documentation, system architecture, and fault-tolerant design strategies appropriate for train safety systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain embedded C software for onboard signalling and train control systems.
• Develop software for safety-related functions such as automatic train protection, communications handling, timing synchronization, diagnostics, and fault management.
• Work closely with onboard hardware, including processors, I/O modules, communication buses, and safety-related peripherals.
• Ensure deterministic execution and robust error handling in a real-time embedded environment.
• Develop software in accordance with safety lifecycle requirements for railway control and protection systems.
• Contribute to safety documentation, including software requirements, architecture descriptions, and detailed design specifications.
• Implement defensive coding techniques and fault-tolerant strategies suitable for train safety systems.
• Collaborate closely with project engineering, systems engineering, signalling design, hardware, verification and validation (V&V), and safety assurance teams throughout the development lifecycle.
• Write clear, testable, and traceable software requirements for embedded control functions.
• Contribute to system architecture trade-offs involving performance, safety, maintainability, and certification impact.
• Participate in structured, audited, and configuration-controlled development processes to ensure high-quality and traceable software deliverables.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• At least 58 years of professional software development experience using C.
• Expert-level proficiency in C for embedded, real-time environments.
• Strong understanding of real-time concepts, including scheduling, interrupts, concurrency, memory constraints, and hardware interaction.
• Hands-on experience developing embedded software that interfaces with processors, I/O modules, communication buses, and safety peripherals.
• Experience working in structured, audited, configuration-controlled development environments.
• Proven ability to write clear and comprehensive software requirements.
• Ability to ensure deterministic behavior and robust error handling in real-time systems.
• Experience applying defensive coding practices and fault-tolerant design strategies in safety-critical applications.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in safety-critical domains, particularly railway control and protection systems, is highly beneficial.
• Familiarity with safety lifecycle processes and documentation for control and protection systems.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, including systems engineering, signalling design, hardware engineering, V&V, and safety assurance.
• Background in system architecture decision-making involving performance, safety, maintainability, and certification considerations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for diagnosing and resolving complex embedded software issues.
• Clear written communication skills for producing technical documentation and design specifications.

Work Environment

This position follows a hybrid work model, with approximately 50% of the work week performed remotely and 50% performed onsite in the Pittsburgh area. The role involves close collaboration with engineering and safety teams, using structured, audited, and configuration-controlled development environments typical of safety-critical railway control projects. The engineer will work with embedded hardware platforms, including processors, I/O modules, communication buses, and safety peripherals, in a professional office and lab setting that supports focused development, integration, and testing activities.

Job Type & Location

Contract to Hire position based out of Pittsburgh, PA.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $57.69 - $76.92/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

• 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 Nov 16, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Pittsburgh,PA.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

Please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.