Principal Software Systems Engineer (Embedded Flight Systems)
About The Position
At Trident Systems Space Electronic Systems (SES) division, the Principal Software Systems Engineer (Embedded Flight Systems) defines, develops, integrates, and verifies software-intensive aerospace systems for flight and flight-like environments. The role bridges systems engineering and software engineering, translating mission and vehicle requirements into embedded software architectures, interfaces, verification approaches, and technical plans. The position calls for experience with real-time embedded software, hardware/software integration, and flight- or safety-critical systems. It also provides leadership in agile software development while maintaining technical rigor, traceability, and mission assurance. The role collaborates across software, firmware, electronics, systems, hardware, and test teams to deliver integrated flight solutions.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum of 9 years of experience in software systems engineering, embedded software, avionics, flight systems, or related aerospace/defense development.
- Experience with real-time embedded software, requirements development, decomposition, traceability, and verification.
- Experience with hardware/software integration and debug.
- Familiarity with the systems engineering lifecycle, formal technical reviews, and agile development environments.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Responsibilities
- Decompose system requirements into software functional, performance, interface, and verification requirements.
- Maintain traceability across stakeholder needs, requirements, architecture, implementation, and test artifacts.
- Define software-related interfaces for avionics, sensors, payloads, actuators, buses, and ground systems.
- Support architecture development with attention to timing, fault handling, determinism, and operational constraints.
- Participate in major technical reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR.
- Develop verification strategies, test methods, and acceptance criteria aligned with system requirements.
- Assess technical risk, identify gaps early, and support mitigation planning.
- Collaborate with software, firmware, electronics, and test teams to develop integrated flight solutions.
- Support embedded software development and hardware/software integration in labs, testbeds, and flight-like environments.
- Troubleshoot issues across software, firmware, interfaces, and electronics to identify root cause and drive resolution.
- Provide leadership in agile software development for embedded and mission-critical software teams.
- Help establish and maintain an agile execution model supporting disciplined engineering, predictable delivery, and strong technical quality.
- Lead or support sprint planning, backlog refinement, reviews, retrospectives, and release planning.
- Coordinate across systems, software, firmware, hardware, and test teams to manage dependencies, integration points, and delivery risks.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, basic life with AD&D, short-term disability, long-term disability, and voluntary ancillary coverage.
- Spending accounts, including HSA, FSA, and DCFSA.
- Paid time off.
- Holidays.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Parental, maternity, and military leaves.
- Annual discretionary bonus for eligible roles.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
