Embedded Software Engineer- Active Secret clearance - Direct Hire

Nickerson Talent Solutions; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Nickerson Talent Solutions seeks a hands-on engineer to develop security critical embedded software and firmware for high assurance cryptographic systems supporting the DoD and allied partners in the Tampa area. This role emphasizes secure embedded development with C and Rust, contributing to systems going through formal security certification.

You will collaborate with systems, hardware, security, and test teams, modernize legacy code, and help design trusted services while supporting

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/CE or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years embedded software in C and Rust.
• Experience with ARM and SoC platforms.
• Firmware and hardware/software integration.
• Strong memory management, concurrency, and deterministic embedded behavior.

Responsibilities

• Develop embedded software in C and Rust.
• Work on cryptographic and key management systems.
• Support secure communications and lifecycle management.
• Modernize legacy C codebases; develop Rust embedded solutions.
• Design security boundaries and trusted services.
• Support NSA High Assurance certification activities.
• Create requirements, architecture, and interface designs.
• Perform unit, integration, and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Collaborate with systems, hardware, security, and test teams.

Skills

Embedded C

Rust

ARM architecture

Low-level debugging

Security-focused

Education

BS in CS/CE

Job description

Join a team developing security critical embedded software and firmware for high assurance cryptographic systems supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, NATO, and allied partners.

This is a hands on engineering role focused on secure embedded development, C and Rust, cryptographic systems, and software that goes through formal security certification.

What You’ll Work On

• Develop embedded software primarily in C and Rust


• Work on cryptographic and key management systems


• Support secure communications, remote rekey, and lifecycle management


• Modernize legacy C codebases and develop Rust based embedded solutions


• Design security boundaries and trusted services


• Support NSA High Assurance certification activities


• Develop requirements, architecture, interface, and design documentation


• Perform unit, integration, acceptance, and hardware in the loop testing


• Work closely with systems, hardware, security, and test engineers

Required

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


• 5+ years of embedded software development in C and Rust


• Low level embedded development and debugging


• ARM processors and SoC platforms


• Firmware and hardware/software integration


• Strong understanding of memory management, concurrency, and deterministic embedded behavior

Preferred

• 8+ years of embedded or firmware development


• Rust in constrained embedded environments


• NSA High Assurance, RMF, or similar DoD security frameworks


• Cryptographic systems, key management, secure boot, or trust architectures