Principal Embedded Software Engineer

TRIDENT SYSTEMS LLC • Sterling, VA

5h • Onsite

About The Position

The Principal Embedded Software Engineer serves as a highly experienced individual contributor responsible for embedded software architecture, implementation, and technical execution across advanced aerospace computing platforms and supporting engineering systems. This role focuses on embedded Linux platforms, board support packages (BSPs), low-level platform software, hardware interfaces, device drivers, boot architecture, and system-level debugging across software and hardware boundaries.

This is a hands-on engineering role intended for a deeply experienced embedded software engineer who thrives in complex hardware-centric environments and contributes through strong technical execution, sound engineering judgment, architectural rigor, and mentorship of other engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical discipline, or equivalent practical engineering experience.
• 9+ years of related experience (OR 7+ years with a master’s degree)
• Embedded software engineering experience with significant delivery on complex hardware-based systems.
• Experience in embedded software architecture, low-level software development, and software/hardware integration.
• Experience developing Linux-based embedded systems including BSP development, platform bring-up, kernel integration, or low-level software infrastructure.
• Deep proficiency in C and C++ with strong systems-level software design fundamentals.
• Experience developing software for embedded hardware platforms including custom peripherals, communications interfaces, storage subsystems, or FPGA-connected systems.
• Strong debugging skills across software, operating system, driver, and hardware boundaries.
• Experience with source control, build systems, release engineering, and disciplined software development practices.
• Ability to mentor engineers through technical guidance, architecture reviews, code reviews, and collaborative engineering support.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with engineering teams, technical stakeholders, and customers.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical discipline.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability engineering environments.
• Linux kernel driver development experience including PCIe, networking, storage, GPIO, DMA, interrupt handling, serial interfaces, or custom hardware integration.
• Experience with embedded Linux environments such as Yocto, Buildroot, Ubuntu, or similar platforms.
• Familiarity with embedded communications and hardware interfaces including SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, PCIe, SpaceWire, or related protocols.
• Experience working closely with FPGA-based systems or hardware acceleration platforms.
• Experience with RTOS-based embedded systems or deterministic software environments.
• Experience with secure boot, fault tolerance, redundancy architectures, software recovery strategies, or mission-critical embedded systems.
• Experience with Python-based engineering automation, internal tools, or test infrastructure development.
• Strong engineering judgment, systems thinking, and ability to independently solve complex multidisciplinary technical problems.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and implement software across embedded aerospace computing platforms and supporting engineering systems.
• Define clean software-hardware interfaces across processors, FPGAs, peripherals, storage devices, networking subsystems, and platform infrastructure.
• Architect robust boot strategies, software update mechanisms, telemetry frameworks, fault handling, recovery strategies, and maintainable runtime software architectures.
• Lead Linux BSP development, platform bring-up, driver integration, hardware enablement, and low-level software architecture activities.
• Develop, review, and optimize software for performance-critical paths including storage, networking, DMA, PCIe, interrupt-driven I/O, and embedded communications.
• Diagnose and resolve complex technical issues spanning software, firmware, FPGA, operating system, drivers, and hardware interactions.
• Establish and reinforce strong software engineering practices including design reviews, code reviews, reproducible builds, release discipline, traceability, CI/CD workflows, and technical documentation.
• Mentor software engineers through technical guidance, design collaboration, architecture reviews, and hands-on engineering support.
• Support technical trade studies, architecture decisions, requirements decomposition, and customer technical discussions.
• Partner closely with FPGA, electrical, systems, product, and test engineering teams to deliver integrated technical solutions.
• Support off-site integration activities or travel, as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health benefits
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Basic life with AD&D
• Short term disability
• Long term disability
• Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
• Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• 401(k) (including company match)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Leaves (Parental, maternity, and military)
• Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal