Lead Embedded Software Engineer - Secret Clearance

Description

The company's Advanced Technologies team in Grand Rapids, MI is hiring a Lead Embedded Software Engineer to design innovative solutions on custom hardware.

You will join a cross-functional team working on stores management, cyber security, networking, and sensing and signal processing.

The company is a leader in aerospace innovation and offers comprehensive corporate relocation assistance for this Grand Rapids role.

You will design, build, and test embedded software, firmware, platforms, and systems for mission-critical technologies and products, alongside engineers who value reliable, innovative embedded systems.

The role calls for strong embedded systems skills, close attention to detail, and a solid grasp of real-time systems and their limits. You will own your work and deliver high-quality software. Autonomy is moderate, and you will need sound operational judgment.

Responsibilities

• Design and program or develop anything from a small module to a complete embedded software product.
• Define and formalize requirements covering system, hardware, software, and human integration.
• Plan and carry out engineering tests, validation, and verification.
• Follow established software development methods and principles, and document your tasks and designs.
• Validate and verify software in environments ranging from desktop simulations to full flight tests.
• Build protocols and algorithms for resource-limited systems, and work with the hardware team on communication between modules and applications.
• Make critical devices robust, resilient, and fail-safe, and reduce potential safety and security weaknesses.
• Write detailed design and technical documentation, optimize existing applications, and add new features.
• Help prioritize and execute work, and take part in reviews of requirements, specifications, code, and designs, including mentoring.
• Apply embedded software best practices and keep up with key business drivers and the product roadmap.
• Deliver work within project scope, cost, and schedule, and communicate well with people at all levels and with customers.
• Propose new solutions to technical problems, estimate cost and time for future bids and programs, and use hardware and software to show capability against customer expectations.

Requirements

• Required: a bachelor's degree with 5 years of related embedded software engineering experience, or a master's degree with 2 years of experience, in computer science, software engineering, or a related STEM field.
• Required: proficiency in Ada, C, C++, or an equivalent language.
• Desired: a master's degree in engineering or computer science.
• Desired: extensive experience using Ada to design, develop, and test embedded software.
• Desired: knowledge of scripting languages such as Python, Perl, and Tcl, and of code management tools such as Git, CVS, SVN, and Perforce.
• Desired: experience with network protocols, including Layer 2 and Layer 3 concepts such as Ethernet and VLAN tagging where applicable. Familiarity with IPv6 Neighbor Discovery is highly desirable.
• Desired: experience implementing or integrating IPsec and IKE, version 1 and/or version 2.
• Desired: experience with RTOS platforms such as Linux, FreeRTOS, QNX, and VxWorks, and with device drivers for complex systems using parallel processing, multi-threading, distributed processing, multi-core, SoM, or secure processing.
• Desired: experience testing, debugging, and integrating embedded software on hardware using debuggers such as gdb and lldb, test equipment such as scopes, analyzers, and multimeters, and UARTs, JTAGs, and oscilloscopes.
• Desired: experience in mission-critical industries such as aerospace, automotive, defense, first responder, or medical devices, turning CONOPS, specifications, or requirements into design, code, and test plans.
• Desired: critical thinking and troubleshooting skills, and proficiency with IDEs, version control, defect tracking, and scripting tools.
• Desired: experience with bare metal design and optimization for cycles and memory, plus a working knowledge of compilers, build tools, and source control.
• Desired: experience with model-based engineering using Cameo.
• Desired: excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Desired: knowledge of system interfaces such as Ethernet, Mil-Std-1553, and serial.
• Desired: knowledge of component interfaces such as I2C, SPI, and PCIe.
• Desired: a current US Government Security Clearance.

Conditions

This is a fully onsite role in Grand Rapids, MI, requiring attendance five days per week.

The role requires you to maintain a US Government Security Clearance, and US citizenship is a prerequisite for obtaining one. Candidates who already hold a US Government Security Clearance will be given preference.

The role requires access to US export-controlled information, so you must prove you are a US Person: a US lawful permanent resident, a US citizen, or a person granted asylee or refugee status under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

The company will only employ people legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening.

Any offer is conditional on passing a drug screen where applicable, and employees may be subject to random and reasonable-suspicion drug and alcohol testing.

The base pay range is $95,000.00 to $127,000.00 USD per year, and the final offer may depend on experience, education, and skill set.

The posting is expected to close on 11/30/26.

Benefits

• Eligible for an annual discretionary bonus based on a percentage of base salary or commission, according to the plan.
• Competitive salary and a full benefits package.
• Healthcare includes medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage, a company Health Coach, and a 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Program for assessment, counseling, and referrals.
• Retirement savings plan (401k) with company matching and company retirement contributions, plus access to Fidelity resources and planning consultants.
• Tuition assistance and adoption assistance.
• Paid parental leave, paid vacation and illness time, and generous time off.
• Disability and life insurance.
• Flexible work arrangements.
• Comprehensive corporate relocation assistance.