Principal Embedded Software Engineer
About The Position
At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future. MITRE’s Electronic Systems Development department is seeking a Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Level 5) to support advanced research and development projects of national significance. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team designing and prototyping proof-of-concept systems on embedded hardware platforms, with emphasis on software supporting Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) applications. Our diverse sponsors and research objectives provide opportunities such as: Real-time communication, navigation, and sensor systems leveraging modern System-on-a-Chip/Field Programmable Gate Array (SoC/FPGA) technology and Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platforms Advanced architectures for high-throughput signal processing algorithms Tightly integrated platforms targeting low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) applications Cross-disciplinary teams delivering mission-relevant prototypes and demonstrations
Requirements
- Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience
- Degree in Computer Engineering, Systems Architecture, or related field
- Expert-level proficiency in high-performance programming languages (C, C++, Python)
- Demonstrated technical/task leadership experience
- Demonstrated ability to architect complex embedded systems
- Experience defining and encouraging best practices and design methods
- Demonstrated engagement across multidisciplinary teams to define requirements and set technical direction of software development efforts
- Willingness/passion for mentoring and developing junior engineers
- Strong understanding of embedded systems, hardware interfacing, and signal processing concepts
- In-depth experience with software systems, systems architecture, and system-of-systems architecture
- Complete software development skillset including design, implementation, testing, documentation, and debugging
- Understanding and experience with low-level processor architectures, operating system design, and hardware interfacing
- Experience with real-time operating systems
- Experience with POSIX interfaces
- Experience with Linux/BSD user and kernel environments
- Experience with Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), RF communications, or radar/sensor systems
- Must have an active Top Secret/SCI U.S Government issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
Nice To Haves
- Existing program accesses
- Advanced degree in Computer Engineering, Systems Architecture, or related field
- Excellent interpersonal skills, judgment, discretion, and tact
- History of building trusted relationships with demanding customers or leaders
- Demonstrated technical leadership shaping large projects and aligning operational needs, engineering reality, and programmatic execution
Responsibilities
- Architect, implement, test, document, and debug embedded software systems (primarily C/C++)
- Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to define requirements and set technical direction for software development efforts
- Establish and reinforce best practices for software design, implementation, integration, and verification
- Integrate and troubleshoot hardware/software interfaces across embedded platforms and RF/SDR-connected systems
- Mentor and develop junior engineers through technical guidance and reviews
Benefits
- competitive benefits
- meaningful career development
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
