Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software Engineer / Architect

Strategic Technology Consulting (STC), an Arcfield Company, is seeking a Lead Software Engineer / Architect to lead the design, development, and integration of the full software stack for advanced tactical edge systems. This role will own the software architecture from low-level hardware interfaces and Hardware Abstraction Layers through embedded control software, edge AI inferencing, and multi-sensor PNT fusion capabilities. The engineer will lead a team of embedded software and machine learning engineers to develop reliable, modular, and high-performance software that can run deterministic, mission-critical algorithms alongside compute-intensive AI/ML workloads on SWaP-constrained hardware. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in embedded software architecture, real-time systems, C/C++ development, hardware/software integration, and Modular Open Systems Approach principles, with the ability to design software that supports sensor modularity, hardware interchangeability, and long-term scalability. This role requires a hands-on technical leader who can translate complex mission needs into robust software architectures that enable resilient operation in degraded or GPS-denied environments.

Responsibilities:

• Architect the Stack: Design and own the end-to-end embedded software architecture, selecting and configuring the RTOS/Hypervisor stack to guarantee real-time performance for critical PNT loops on SWaP-constrained processors.
• Solve the AI/Deterministic Divide: Architect resource allocation, core-pinning, and memory partitioning to safely execute Edge AI NAVWAR algorithms.
• Implement Software MOSA: Build robust, hardware-agnostic APIs and HALs aligned with SOSA profiles.
• Lead and Ship: Direct a team of embedded systems, DSP, and AI software engineers. You will run code reviews, unblock technical hurdles, and prioritize engineering efforts to meet field-deployment deadlines.

Qualifications:

• BS 8-10, MS 6-8, Phd 3-5 (degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field).
• Expert-level proficiency in C and modern C++ for resource-constrained embedded systems.
• Deep experience with Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) (e.g., VxWorks, seL4, FreeRTOS, Zephyr) and embedded Linux.
• Strong understanding of hardware-software integration, including interacting with FPGAs, ADCs, DACs, and serial protocols (SPI, I2C, PCIe, Ethernet).
• Experience with Rust in an embedded/systems context for safety-critical applications.
• Familiarity with VITA90/VNX+ hardware standards and SOSA (Sensor Open Systems Architecture) software profiles.
• Experience developing software for PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing), Kalman filtering, or Software Defined Radios (SDR) preferred.
• Experience deploying optimized Machine Learning models (TensorFlow Lite, ONNX, TensorRT) onto edge devices or heterogeneous compute nodes (CPU/GPU/NPU) preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading or managing software engineering teams through the full product lifecycle.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret Security Clearance.

Equal Pay ActThis is the projected compensation range for this position. There are differentiating factors that can impact a final salary/hourly rate, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location (For Remote Opportunities), education and certifications as well as Federal Government Contract Labor categories. In addition, Arcfield invests in its employees beyond just compensation. Arcfield 's benefits offerings include, dependent upon position, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Holiday Pay, Short Term and Long-Term Disability, Retirement and Savings, Learning and Development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections. Min: $101,657.48 Max: $200,020.88 EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and federal government contractor. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment as protected by law.