Staff Software Engineer, Architecture & Systems Integration

Priority Dispatch Corp.; Scotts Valley (CA); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

401(k) match

Health benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Digital Dynamics Inc. is seeking an experienced software engineering leader to drive the technical design, implementation, and long-term health of major subsystems for mission-critical equipment.

You will own architecture, guide multi-team delivery, and mentor engineers across firmware, FPGA, and software domains. The role requires deep embedded/firmware experience, real-time control, and strong C/C++ skills, with emphasis on reliability, scalability, and secure boot/update capabilities.

Qualifications

• 8+ years embedded/firmware development
• Experience owning system‑level architecture on a shipped, safety‑relevant product
• Deep experience with Xilinx Zynq or similar ARM+FPGA SoCs
• Strong C/C++ in resource‑constrained, real‑time environments
• Real‑time fieldbus experience (EtherCAT highly preferred)
• Experience with functional safety architectures (IEC 61508) a plus
• Track record designing for testability (HIL, regression test harnesses)
• Experience with secure boot and firmware update mechanisms
• Git-based workflows and CI/CD for embedded builds

Responsibilities

• Define and own the software architecture for significant subsystems
• Lead design and delivery of complex software solutions with multiple teams
• Write high-quality, secure, maintainable code
• Ensure reliability, scalability, and performance of software systems
• Lead technical decision-making and perform root-cause analysis
• Collaborate with product, systems, hardware, and manufacturing teams
• Mentor junior and senior engineers
• Establish and reinforce engineering best practices
• Contribute to technical standards and continuous improvement across the software organization

Skills

Embedded/firmware dev

C/C++

Xilinx Zynq/ARM+FPGA

Real-time systems

EtherCAT fieldbus

GitHub Actions

IEC 61508

Tools

GitHub Actions

Bare-metal

Embedded Linux

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: Scotts Valley, CA 95066

Salary Range: $160,000.00 - $185,000.00 Salary/year

About Digital Dynamics Inc.

Digital Dynamics Inc. (DDI) is a 100% employee-owned company (ESOP), where all employees share in the benefit of our continued growth. Our culture fosters accountability, collaboration, and long-term thinking.

DDI designs and builds reliable, high-performance control hardware for semiconductor and industrial applications. As an ISO 9001 certified company with decades of design and manufacturing experience, we create advanced controllers and I/O solutions for mission-critical environments. All products are designed and built at our facilities in beautiful Scotts Valley, CA.

Position Summary

Digital Dynamics Inc. is seeking an experienced individual contributor to lead the technical design, implementation, and long-term health of major software subsystems supporting mission-critical equipment used across global industries.

This role combines hands‑on software development with technical leadership. It defines and owns software architecture for significant subsystems, leads the delivery and integration of complex software solutions, and ensures reliability, scalability, and performance.

The position works closely with product, systems, hardware, and manufacturing teams. It also mentors junior and senior engineers and contributes to engineering best practices, technical standards, and continuous improvement across the software organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the software architecture for significant subsystems.
• Lead the design and delivery of complex software solutions involving multiple teams.
• Write high-quality, secure, and maintainable code.
• Ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of software systems.
• Lead technical decision‑making and perform root‑cause analysis of systemic issues.
• Partner with product, systems, hardware, and manufacturing teams to align technical solutions with business and operational needs.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers.
• Establish and reinforce engineering best practices.
• Contribute to technical standards and drive continuous improvement across the software organization.

Requirements

• 8+ years embedded/firmware development, with several years owning system‑level architecture on a shipped, safety‑relevant product.
• Deep experience with Xilinx Zynq or similar ARM+FPGA SoCs; comfortable working across the hardware/software boundary.
• Strong C/C++ in resource‑constrained, real‑time environments; experience with both bare‑metal and embedded Linux.
• Real‑time fieldbus experience. EtherCAT strongly preferred (CoE/FoE, synchronization); other industrial fieldbuses (Modbus, PROFINET) considered.
• Experience with functional safety architectures (interlocks, safety‑rated I/O, fail‑safe design). Formal certification experience (IEC 61508) a plus given the semiconductor/industrial context.
• Track record designing for testability: hardware‑in‑the‑loop, regression test harnesses, reliability/MTBF testing.
• Experience with secure boot and firmware update mechanisms in a fielded, multi‑variant product line.
• Git‑based workflows, CI/CD for embedded builds (GitHub Actions or similar).

Staff-Level Expectations

• Sets architecture direction that firmware, FPGA, and hardware teams align to, without direct reporting authority.
• Thinks in terms of platform reuse across the three Fusion product variants (and the future Fusion 2.0 line), not just the feature in front of them.
• Makes and defends build tradeoffs to leadership and customers in plain terms (cost, schedule, risk).
• Raises the technical bar for the team through review, mentorship, and documentation, not just personal output.

Nice to Have

• Experience with semiconductor fab equipment or other high‑reliability industrial control environments.
• FPGA/Vivado familiarity, even if not the primary FPGA developer.

Our Total Rewards Philosophy

We believe rewarding employees extends beyond base compensation. Our total rewards approach is designed to recognize performance, support long‑term growth, and create shared success through competitive pay, bonus program eligibility, participation in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which provides employees the opportunity to share in the company’s long‑term success, 401(k) match, comprehensive health and wellness benefits, paid time off, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a 100% employee‑owned company.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Digital Dynamics, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.