Validation & Tooling Software Engineer

Actalent; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

HSA (Health Spending Account)

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Paid time off

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Validation & Tooling Software Engineer to design and maintain internal SIL environments and developer tooling for residential energy firmware. You will build visualization tools, enable field replay, and collaborate across firmware, hardware, and validation teams.

Responsibilities include developing close-to-real SIL environments, instrumenting systems, and improving CI pipelines to boost reliability and productivity. This contract-to-hire role is onsite in Palo Alto.

Qualifications

• Proficiency with Linux systems (desktop and embedded).
• Experience with CAN, HTTPS, Protobuf protocols.
• Strong programming skills with concurrency for distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain SIL, harness, and developer tooling.
• Build close-to-real-life SIL environments for multi-process embedded Linux systems.
• Create visualization and debugging tools and dashboards for SIL workflows.
• Support trace/hook/instrumentation systems for field replay in SIL.
• Onboard new products, revisions, and configurations into tooling and SIL workflows.
• Collaborate with Product, Device Software, Hardware, and Validation teams to design tools and tests.
• Improve reliability and usability of daily engineering tools.
• Contribute to CI, tests, and engineering practices for product reliability.

Skills

Linux

CAN/HTTPS/Protobuf

Concurrency

Python

Go

Rust

C/C++

Education

BS in Computer Science / Computer Engineering / Electrical Engineering

Tools

Docker

QEMU

Job description

Job Title: Validation & Tooling Software EngineerJob Description

We are seeking a highly skilled Software Engineer to join our team and design, maintain, and enhance our internal tooling and simulation infrastructure. This role focuses on accelerating residential energy firmware development with higher accuracy and reliability. You will work across various home energy products, building Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) environments that mimic real-world conditions, and developing visualization and debugging tools to simplify complex multi-process systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain internal SIL, harness, and developer tooling primarily using Python and Go, enhancing correctness, debuggability, and release confidence for residential energy device software.
• Develop close-to-real-life SIL environments for multi-process embedded Linux systems, bridging gaps between simulation and field behavior.
• Create visualization and debugging tools, including report generation, SIL-driven dashboards, and control-flow visualization, enabling engineers to comprehend system behavior efficiently.
• Implement and support trace/hook/instrumentation systems in device software (Go, Rust, C/C++), facilitating field trace capture and replay in SIL.
• Onboard new products, revisions, capabilities, and regional configurations into shared tooling and SIL workflows.
• Collaborate with Product, Device Software, Hardware, and Validation teams to transform team challenges into clear tool designs, tests, and deployable internal platforms.
• Enhance reliability and usability of daily-used engineering tools, reducing time-to-root-cause for lab, SIL, and field issues.
• Contribute to automated tests, CI integration, and engineering practices that increase product reliability, developer productivity, and release confidence.
• Support production and fleet requirements through tooling assistance, including bring-up, field anomaly reproduction, and continuous improvement post-launch.

Essential Skills

• Strong understanding of Linux systems (desktop and embedded).
• Familiarity with communication protocols such as CAN, HTTPS, Protobuf.
• Proficiency in programming, especially concurrency for distributed systems.
• Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in building internal developer, validation, or simulation tooling used by engineers daily.
• Proficiency in Python and Go; experience with Rust, C, or C++ is a plus.
• Comfort working across the boundary between tools and systems under test, including embedded or device software, multi‑process Linux, IPC, logs, and traces.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Real‑world experience in Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), simulation harnesses, or high‑fidelity test environments for embedded or multi‑process systems.
• Experience with visualization or observability tooling such as dashboards, report generators, or control‑flow views.
• Experience with trace, instrumentation, capture/replay, or hook‑based systems for reproducing field or lab scenarios offline.
• Ability to extend test or simulation platforms to support new products, hardware configurations, or regional setups.
• Strong software fundamentals including clear interfaces, maintainability, failure handling, and testability.
• Experience with unit/integration automation, CI pipelines, or HIL‑style validation adjacent to SIL.
• Familiarity with Docker and QEMU for packaging, isolation, and realistic SIL environments.
• Exposure to complex embedded Linux systems, home energy/battery/inverter products, multi‑device site setups, or market‑specific product variants.

Work Environment

This role involves working in a dynamic and fast‑paced environment, collaborating closely with firmware, validation, hardware, and product stakeholders. The position offers the opportunity to work with advanced technologies and contribute to high‑impact projects that enhance the performance and reliability of home energy products. The work setting is collaborative, encouraging innovation and practical solutions that increase team velocity.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Palo Alto,CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $55.00 - $70.00/hr.

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 Palo Alto,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 27, 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.