Senior Embedded Software Engineer — Real-Time Defense

Leidos Inc; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 108,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to support mission-critical embedded software and firmware for missile defense systems. You will design, develop, integrate, and demonstrate advanced software capabilities in a fast-paced engineering environment.

This role requires close collaboration with integrated engineering teams and strong technical communication to deliver high-quality software solutions to customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mathematics with GPA 3.0+
• 8+ years of relevant technical experience, or 6+ years with a master's in a related field
• 5+ years of experience with real-time embedded systems in defense, aerospace, or safety-critical platforms preferred
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Active DoD Secret Security Clearance required
• Must be a resident of North Alabama or willing to relocate to Huntsville-North Alabama area
• Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems development
• Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) such as VxWorks, Integrity, or FreeRTOS
• Proficiency with embedded processors and microcontrollers (ARM Cortex, RISC-V)
• Experience with embedded debugging tools (JTAG, oscilloscopes)
• Strong knowledge of Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, and test automation for mission/safety-critical programs
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to work independently and in teams

Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual design and architectural development across full-stack airborne system software including embedded design
• Lead and contribute to design, development, testing, troubleshooting, and debugging of embedded systems
• Apply software engineering principles, standards, and SDLC best practices including requirements analysis and hardware compatibility analysis
• Recommend and implement new technologies, tools and standards to enhance software engineering practices
• Lead and mentor team members; contribute to complex projects aligned with strategy
• Identify and improve development workflows and AI-enabled development capabilities

Skills

C/C++

RTOS

ARM Cortex/RISC-V

DevOps/CI-CD

Mentoring

Agile development

Jira

Git/GitLab

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mathematics

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Jira

Git

GitLab

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Leidos is seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to support mission-critical embedded software and firmware for missile defense systems. You will design, develop, integrate, and demonstrate advanced software capabilities in a fast-paced engineering environment.

This role requires close collaboration with integrated engineering teams and strong technical communication to deliver high-quality software solutions to customers.