Embedded Software Engineer

Recruiting From Scratch; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative recruiting firm is seeking a Senior Embedded Systems Engineer to join a pioneering engineering team focused on edge processing and optimization. This role offers the chance to work on high-performance software systems for real-time applications in the defense and aerospace sectors. Ideal candidates will have deep proficiency in compiled languages like Rust, C, or C++, and experience with low-level software development. The position provides a competitive salary, equity options, and a flexible hybrid work environment, making it a fantastic opportunity to contribute to mission-critical projects and collaborate with top-tier engineers.

Benefits

Equity package

Full suite of healthcare benefits

Retirement benefits

Wellness benefits

Hybrid work flexibility

Access to premier offices in multiple locations

Qualifications

• 2-12 years of experience in software development for performance-critical systems.
• Strong understanding of hardware/software interfaces and Linux internals.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement high-performance software systems for edge environments.
• Work with customers to build scalable solutions from the ground up.

Skills

Rust

C

C++

Low-level software development

Computer architecture

IP networking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Master’s degree in Computer Engineering

Job description

Who is Recruiting from Scratch:

Recruiting from Scratch is a premier talent firm that focuses on placing the best product managers, software, and hardware talent at innovative companies. Our team is 100% remote and we work with teams across the United States to help them hire.

Senior Embedded Systems Engineer - Defense & Aerospace

Title: Software Engineer – Edge Processing & Optimization

Location: Washington, DC (preferred) | Palo Alto, CA | Denver, CO | New York, NY (Remote available for exceptional candidates)
Company Stage of Funding: Public Company
Office Type: Hybrid (In-person preferred 2+ days/week in DC)
Salary: $100,000 – $250,000 + Equity

Company Description

We are a leading recruiting agency partnering with one of the most advanced public technology companies in the world. Our client builds category-defining software that empowers government and enterprise organizations to make mission-critical decisions through real-time, data-driven insights. This is a unique opportunity to join a newly formed engineering team focused on revolutionizing edge software processing through first-principles, bottom-up system design.

The engineering team is building the future of real-time computing across edge environments, taking on high-bandwidth data processing, real-time inference, and system-level optimization. This is an ideal role for an experienced systems engineer passionate about low-level development and hardware-software interfacing.

What You Will Do

• Design and implement high-performance, hardware-aware software systems for real-time edge and distributed cloud environments.

• Work closely with mission-critical customers to understand technical requirements and build scalable, performant solutions from the ground up.

• Optimize resource usage on constrained devices through techniques like SIMD, GPU/FPGA acceleration, or low-level multithreading.

• Architect and deliver fault-tolerant, latency-sensitive pipelines for sensor and network data.

• Contribute to a cross-functional team pioneering software innovation in national security, critical infrastructure, and frontier tech spaces.

Ideal Candidate Background

• 2–12 years of hands-on experience in software development, especially in performance-critical systems.

• Deep proficiency in compiled languages such as Rust, C, or C++.

• Experience with low-level software development including SIMD, GPU, or FPGA-based optimizations.

• Strong understanding of computer architecture, hardware/software interfaces (I2C, SPI, PCI, AXI), and Linux internals.

• Basic IP networking knowledge.

• Proven ability to work independently on complex, ambiguous technical problems with minimal guidance.

• Demonstrated success working directly with customers or end-users.

Preferred

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.

• Experience with real-time or embedded systems, including latency optimization and hardware resource management.

• Active US Security Clearance (Secret or above) is strongly preferred.

• Security Clearance Eligibility Required.

• Availability to work on-site in Washington, DC at least 2 days per week.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary ranging from $100,000 to $250,000, based on experience and location.

• Equity package aligned with public company benchmarks.

• Full suite of healthcare, retirement, and wellness benefits.

• Access to premier offices in DC, Palo Alto, Denver, and NYC with hybrid work flexibility.

• Work alongside world-class engineers solving mission-critical challenges across government and enterprise sectors.

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

If you're excited by deeply technical work, solving performance bottlenecks at the edge, and building next-generation infrastructure software, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today to join a pioneering team making real-world impact through cutting-edge engineering.