Software Engineer

Actalent; Manassas (VA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k)

Life insurance

PTO

Job summary

Actalent in Manassas, VA is seeking a Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer to advance low-level aerospace-grade software for flight control and electrification systems.

You will work close to hardware on ARM multicore SoCs, BSPs, RTOS integration, and deterministic networks, with DO-178C context and safety-critical verification. The role emphasizes rigorous testing and collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related technical field and hands-on embedded software experience.
• Proven experience with bare-metal development and hardware interaction.
• Experience with RTOS in embedded aerospace applications and multicore processors.
• Knowledge of DO-178C software development processes for airborne systems.
• Strong debugging and integration skills in embedded environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and integrate low-level embedded software for aerospace control systems.
• Develop bootloaders, BSPs, device drivers, and processor init routines.
• Bring up processors and enable multicore ARM-based SoCs.
• Configure and optimize RTOS for safety-critical flight control applications.
• Implement SMP and MCP software frameworks and perform timing analyses.
• Develop and execute benchmarking methodologies for SoC performance.
• Collaborate with systems, hardware, FPGA, and controls teams throughout the lifecycle.

Skills

C/C++ development

Bare-metal embedded development

RTOS in embedded systems

Multicore ARM SoCs

Hardware/software debugging

Software integration and debugging

DO-178C knowledge

Timing analysis (WCET)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

ARM Development Studio (ARM DS IDE)

Job description

Job Title: Senior Principal Embedded Software EngineerJob Description

This role focuses on low-level embedded software development for next-generation flight control, hybrid propulsion, and aircraft electrification systems across commercial and military aerospace applications. You will work close to the hardware to design and implement foundational platform software, including processor bring-up, board support packages, bootloaders, multicore architectures, and Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) integration, enabling safety-critical avionics and flight control platforms.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and integrate low-level embedded software for aerospace control systems and safety-critical platforms.

• Develop bare-metal software, bootloaders, Board Support Packages (BSPs), device drivers, and processor initialization routines.

• Perform processor bring-up and hardware enablement activities for multicore ARM-based System-on-Chip (SoC) platforms.

• Configure, enable, and optimize SoC capabilities for real-time and safety-critical aerospace applications.

• Architect and implement Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) and Multi-Core Processor (MCP) software frameworks.

• Develop and execute benchmarking methodologies to evaluate and optimize SoC performance.

• Analyze and mitigate multicore interference risks to ensure deterministic system behavior in safety-critical environments.

• Integrate and optimize Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) for flight control and other aerospace applications.

• Design and implement communications interfaces and protocols such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), PCIe, AFDX, and related deterministic technologies.

• Perform advanced timing and performance analyses, including Worst Case Execution Time (WCET) assessments.

• Support FPGA and ASIC integration efforts, including hardware/software interface development and timing analysis.

• Develop software test environments and verification methodologies tailored to safety-critical systems.

• Generate clear technical documentation, performance assessments, and fit-for-purpose evaluations for aerospace platforms.

• Collaborate closely with systems, hardware, FPGA, and controls engineering teams throughout the product lifecycle to ensure cohesive system integration and performance.

• Participate in software integration, debugging, and troubleshooting activities within embedded environments.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.

• Significant hands-on experience developing low-level embedded software in C and C++.

• Proven experience with bare-metal embedded development, including direct hardware interaction.

• Experience developing and maintaining bootloaders, BSPs, device drivers, and processor initialization software.

• Practical experience working with Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) in embedded applications.

• Experience with multicore processors, embedded architectures, or ARM-based systems.

• Strong understanding of hardware/software interactions, memory architectures, interrupts, and processor-level debugging techniques.

• Experience performing software integration and troubleshooting in embedded environments.

• Background in low-level embedded software development for avionics or other safety-critical systems.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with NXP S32 family processors, including S32G2.

• Experience with NXP Layerscape devices in aerospace, avionics, defense, or other safety-critical industries.

• Knowledge of DO-178C software development and certification processes for airborne systems.

• Experience supporting Level A safety-critical software development efforts.

• Knowledge of multicore processing architectures and techniques for interference mitigation.

• Experience with deterministic communication protocols such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), PCIe, and AFDX.

• Experience using ARM Development Studio (ARM DS IDE) and associated debugging tools.

• Python scripting experience for test automation and tooling.

• Experience performing WCET, Data Coupling and Control Coupling (DCCC), and related timing and dependency analyses.

• Exposure to FPGA and ASIC interface development and hardware/software co-design.

Work Environment

You will work in a technically rigorous aerospace engineering environment focused on safety-critical flight control and electrification systems. The role centers on platform-level embedded software that interacts directly with modern multicore ARM-based SoCs, RTOS platforms, and deterministic communication technologies such as TSN, PCIe, and AFDX. Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams in systems, hardware, FPGA, and controls engineering is integral to the daily workflow, with a strong emphasis on thorough testing, verification, and documentation aligned with industry standards such as DO-178C. The environment values precision, reliability, and innovation in embedded systems, and supports the use of advanced development tools including ARM Development Studio and Python-based test automation.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Manassas, VA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $78.73/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Manassas,VA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 28, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.