Embedded System Integration Engineer

Aptonet; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aptonet in Atlanta, GA is seeking a hands‑on Systems Engineer to design, integrate, deploy, and support complex technology systems for railroad environments.

These systems combine electrical hardware, embedded computing, software, cameras, sensors, networking, machine learning, servers, and physical infrastructure. The role requires cross‑discipline collaboration to ensure a reliable, end‑to‑end solution in real‑world rail settings.

Qualifications

• Experience developing, integrating, or troubleshooting complex hardware/software systems.
• Working knowledge of C++ and Python.
• Ability to troubleshoot systems involving hardware, software, embedded computing, networking, sensors, and field equipment.

Responsibilities

• Design and integrate systems that include electrical, mechanical, embedded, software, networking, sensing, AI, and field‑infrastructure components.
• Translate operational needs into architectures, requirements, interfaces, implementation plans, and integration strategies.
• Deploy, commission, validate, test, and troubleshoot systems in laboratories and field locations.

Skills

Electrical Eng

Computer Eng

Mechanical Eng

Robotics

Mechatronics

Embedded Systems

C++

Python

Networking

Schematic Reading

System Integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Linux

Git

Docker

CI/CD

Job description

Work arrangement: Hybrid—two days onsite each week

Location: Atlanta GA 30308

Position Summary

We are seeking a hands‑on Systems Engineer to design, integrate, deploy, and support complex technology systems for railroad environments.

These systems combine electrical hardware, embedded computing, software, cameras, sensors, networking, machine learning, servers, and physical infrastructure. Applications may include machine vision, trackside inspection, autonomous platforms, robotics, drones, and AI-enabled monitoring.

This role works across hardware, software, data science, solution architecture, field operations, and customer needs. The Systems Engineer must understand how the complete system operates and ensure that its components work together reliably in real‑world railroad environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Systems Design and Integration
  • Design and integrate systems that include electrical, mechanical, embedded, software, networking, sensing, AI, and field‑infrastructure components.
  • Translate operational needs into architectures, requirements, interfaces, implementation plans, and integration strategies.
  • Integrate electronics, PCBs, embedded computers, cameras, sensors, networking equipment, servers, software, and AI models.
  • Identify technical risks, dependencies, and integration challenges.
  • Troubleshoot failures across hardware, firmware, software, networking, sensing, AI, and field conditions.
  • Collaborate with Solution Architects, Software Engineers, Data Scientists, Electrical Engineers, IT and cybersecurity teams, DevSecOps, field personnel, and other Systems Engineers.
• Embedded Systems, Software and AI
  • Develop, configure, integrate, and troubleshoot embedded computing systems and hardware/software interfaces.
  • Write and maintain C++ and Python software, scripts, and tools for device control, data acquisition, communications, diagnostics, testing, configuration, deployment, and monitoring.
  • Analyze system behavior to identify integration issues, performance bottlenecks, and boundaries between application, embedded, and system‑level functionality.
  • Support the integration of machine‑learning and computer‑vision models.
  • Ensure sensor and image data are captured, processed, and delivered reliably.
  • Determine whether field‑performance issues originate from sensing, data quality, model performance, software, hardware, networking, or integration.
• Electrical, Hardware, Vision and Infrastructure
  • Design, integrate, configure, and troubleshoot field‑deployed electrical and electronic systems, including power, sensors, communications equipment, embedded computers, and PCBs.
  • Read schematics, PCB documentation, datasheets, technical drawings, and specifications.
  • Select components based on electrical, environmental, performance, and operational requirements.
  • Integrate cameras, lenses, lighting, image‑acquisition systems, optics, sensors, and related equipment.
  • Evaluate camera placement, mounting, field of view, resolution, exposure, lighting, image quality, environmental effects, and data suitability for computer‑vision and AI models.
  • Design, configure, deploy, and troubleshoot servers, switches, routers, wireless equipment, edge platforms, IP networks, distributed communications, databases, cloud interfaces, and enterprise infrastructure connections.
  • Develop solutions for environments affected by connectivity, weather, vibration, temperature, lighting, and other physical conditions.
• Field Deployment and Railroad Applications
  • Deploy, commission, validate, test, and troubleshoot systems in laboratories, test‑track environments, trackside locations, rail yards, maintenance facilities, and other railroad settings.
  • Analyze operational data, logs, sensor information, images, and diagnostics to assess performance and isolate failures.
  • Develop procedures and tools that simplify installation, configuration, testing, maintenance, troubleshooting, and deployment.
  • Apply engineering principles to track inspection, rolling‑stock inspection, train and car identification, rail‑yard operations, automated monitoring, safety, maintenance, efficiency, and operational awareness.
  • Travel to field locations as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, a related engineering discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience developing, integrating, or troubleshooting complex hardware/software systems.
• Working knowledge of C++ and Python.
• Ability to troubleshoot systems involving hardware, software, embedded computing, networking, sensors, and field equipment.
• Understanding of electrical and electronic fundamentals, including sensors, signals, power, digital and analog I/O, embedded systems, and components.
• Ability to read schematics, technical drawings, datasheets, and system documentation.
• Understanding of computer‑networking fundamentals, IP networking, and networked devices.
• Strong analytical, communication, collaboration, and hands‑on problem‑solving skills in laboratory and field environments.
• Ability and desire to work across disciplines and learn new technologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with robotics, mechatronics, autonomous systems, drones, industrial automation, motion systems, or physical‑system integration.
• Experience with computer vision, machine learning, cameras, lenses, optics, lighting, image acquisition, sensor fusion, localization, tracking, or perception systems.
• Experience with PCB design, electronics design, wiring, hardware development, microcontrollers, embedded processors, edge‑computing platforms, embedded Linux, or other embedded operating systems.
• Experience with Linux servers, industrial networking, communications protocols, databases, SQL, Docker, containers, virtualization, Git, CI/CD, DevSecOps, automated deployment, real‑time systems, or high‑performance computing.
• Experience in outdoor, industrial, transportation, railroad, rail‑vehicle, track‑infrastructure, or other demanding physical environments.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a T‑shaped engineer: deep in at least one engineering discipline and broad enough to integrate systems across electrical and electronic engineering, embedded software, networking, vision and sensing, AI and data, mechanical systems, robotics, and field engineering.

Candidates are not required to be experts in every area. The position values strong technical foundations, curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to learn.

Strong candidates are systems thinkers and hands‑on problem solvers who are comfortable with ambiguity, collaborate across disciplines, and are willing to take ownership of the complete system. They can connect a camera, circuit board, computer, network, software application, AI model, and physical machine—and determine why the complete solution is or is not working.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Systems Engineer can take an open‑ended challenge, such as automatically identifying and tracking railcars in a busy yard, and help define the required cameras, optics, sensors, electrical infrastructure, embedded computing, AI processing, networking, data flow, testing, diagnostics, failure behavior, and field‑reliability plan.

The Systems Engineer is not required to personally design every component. The responsibility is to understand the complete system, identify how its components work together, and help ensure that the final solution operates reliably in railroad environments.