Embedded Software Engineer (VxWorks)

Colossus Technologies Group; United States; Remote; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Colossus Technologies Group is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer for VxWorks and aviation systems. This remote, long‑term contract‑to‑hire role focuses on safety‑critical software development for advanced aviation platforms.

You will work with electrical, systems, hardware, verification, and flight‑test teams to deliver reliable embedded software across avionics, sensors, and flight computers, including DO‑178C–style processes.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of embedded software experience.
• Aviation, aerospace, defense, UAS, or safety‑critical domain experience preferred.
• Strong C/C++ in embedded or RTOS environments.
• Ability to read schematics, interface docs, and hardware datasheets.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain embedded software for aviation systems.
• Build real‑time software for avionics, sensor processing, or control systems.
• Translate requirements into designs and verifiable test cases.
• Develop drivers, BSPs, and hardware abstraction layers.

Skills

C/C++

RTOS

Embedded systems

Hardware bring-up

Sensor integration

Communications protocols

Unit & integration testing

DO-178C familiarity

Tools

JTAG/SWD debuggers

MATLAB/Simulink

Git

Jenkins

Jira

Polarion

DOORS

Job description

Embedded Software Engineer — VxWorks / Aviation Systems

Remote

Long Term Contract-to-Hire with benefits

A leading aerospace technology company is seeking an Embedded Software Engineer to develop safety-critical software for advanced aviation systems. This engineer will work closely with electrical, systems, hardware, verification, and flight-test teams to build reliable embedded software that supports next-generation aircraft and aviation products.

This is a hands‑on role for an engineer with aviation‑domain experience who understands the rigor required to develop, test, document, and certify software used in airborne or mission‑critical environments. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between low‑level code, hardware interfaces, system‑level requirements, and formal verification activities.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, test, and maintain embedded software in C/C++ for aviation or aerospace systems.
• Build reliable real‑time software for avionics, flight‑control, sensor‑processing, communications, navigation, power‑management, or aircraft subsystem applications.
• Translate system and software requirements into clear technical designs, implementable software requirements, and verifiable test cases.
• Develop and maintain low‑level drivers, board‑support packages, communication interfaces, and hardware‑abstraction layers.
• Integrate embedded software with sensors, actuators, avionics hardware, flight computers, and external aircraft systems.
• Work with protocols and interfaces such as CAN, ARINC 429, ARINC 664, RS‑232/422/485, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, or similar aerospace and embedded communication standards.
• Participate in board bring‑up, hardware integration, lab testing, debugging, and root‑cause analysis using tools such as JTAG/SWD debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and data logs.
• Develop software for real‑time operating systems, bare‑metal systems, or safety‑critical embedded Linux environments.
• Collaborate with systems and verification engineers to define test plans, execute unit, integration, hardware‑in‑the‑loop, and system‑level testing, and resolve defects.
• Support the full software lifecycle, including requirements traceability, configuration management, code reviews, documentation, verification evidence, and release readiness.
• Contribute to safety, quality, reliability, and certification activities for airborne software.
• Support integration, ground testing, flight testing, and post‑test data review when needed.

Required Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional embedded software engineering experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing embedded software within the aviation, aerospace, defense, UAS/drone, eVTOL, avionics, or other safety‑critical industry.
• Strong C/C++ programming skills in embedded or real‑time environments.
• Experience working with embedded hardware, microcontrollers, processors, peripherals, and communication interfaces.
• Familiarity with RTOS, bare‑metal, or other deterministic real‑time software environments.
• Experience with hardware bring‑up, debugging, and integration of sensors, actuators, avionics, or electronic control systems.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, interface‑control documents, hardware datasheets, and system requirements.
• Experience with software testing and debugging at the unit, integration, and system levels.
• Strong understanding of disciplined engineering practices, including version control, code review, defect tracking, documentation, and configuration management.
• Ability to work effectively across software, hardware, systems, test, and flight‑operations teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with DO-178C, DO-254, ARP4754A, ARP4761, or comparable aerospace development‑assurance and safety processes.
• Experience developing software at DAL A through DAL D, or supporting certification artifacts for airborne software.
• Familiarity with avionics and aircraft networks, including ARINC 429, ARINC 664/AFDX, CAN Aerospace, CANaerospace, MIL‑STD‑1553, or Ethernet‑based avionics architectures.
• Experience with flight controls, autopilot systems, navigation, guidance, sensor fusion, inertial systems, GPS/GNSS, radar, EO/IR, propulsion controls, battery‑management systems, or power electronics.
• Experience with hardware‑in‑the‑loop, software‑in‑the‑loop, simulation, automated test, and data‑analysis workflows.
• Experience using MATLAB/Simulink, Python, Git, Jenkins, Jira, Polarion, DOORS, or comparable engineering and requirements‑management tools.
• Familiarity with embedded cybersecurity, secure boot, trusted execution, encrypted communications, or safety/security considerations for connected aircraft systems.
• Exposure to FAA, EASA, military‑airworthiness, or UAS certification environments.