Position Title: Principal Software Systems Engineer (Embedded Flight Systems)
Requisition ID: 1877
Position Location: Fairfax, VA
Position Reports To: Director, Software Engineering
Supervises Others: No
Position SummaryThe Principal Software Systems Engineer (Embedded Flight Systems) defines, develops, integrates, and verifies software-intensive aerospace systems for flight and flight-like environments. This role bridges systems engineering and software engineering, translating mission and vehicle requirements into embedded software architectures, interfaces, verification approaches, and technical plans.
The ideal candidate has experience with real-time embedded software, hardware/software integration, and flight- or safety-critical systems. This position also provides leadership in agile software development while maintaining technical rigor, traceability, and mission assurance.
Duties and Responsibilities- Systems Engineering for Embedded Flight Software
- 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.
- Embedded Flight Software Development and Integration
- 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.
- Agile Software Development Leadership
- Provide leadership in agile software development for embedded and mission-critical software teams.
- Help establish and maintain an agile execution model that supports 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.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or 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.
Pay InformationFull-Time Salary Range: $119,000 - $190,000
Please Note: Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, internal equity, business considerations, and geographic location where applicable.
Benefits Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:
- 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)
Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.
