Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Quest Defense Systems and Solutions is seeking a highly skilled Sr. Software Engineer to work on cutting-edge projects that make a difference in the aerospace and defense sectors. The role involves integrating FPGA-based hardware, real-time operating systems, and application interfaces to deliver safety-critical avionics capabilities.

Responsibilities:

• Support VxWorks 653 and LynxOS-178 guest operating systems
• Configure and manage partitioned, multi-core environments aligned with FACE profiles
• Support secure boot, system initialization, and health monitoring
• Maintain BIT and SNMP-based health services
• Develop and sustain device drivers for Avionics I/O Node and Module Manager FPGAs
• Support avionics and general-purpose interfaces: MIL-STD-1553B (BC/RT/BBC), ARINC 429, RS-422/485, GPIO, discrete, and analog I/O
• Implement low-latency I/O routing and bypass paths
• Integrate shared memory and network-based data transport
• Develop and maintain merge and video device drivers
• Integrate MerVE3 FPGA-based video processing and merge functionality
• Support ARINC 661, ARINC 818, SDI, SMPTE, DisplayPort, and STANAG 3350 interfaces
• Implement and maintain video and merge APIs
• Optimize low-latency video pipelines and graphics overlays
• Support multi-input/multi-output video routing and synchronization
• Maintain I/O server frameworks and distribution services
• Support deterministic networking with traffic shaping and partition isolation
• Integrate secure NVMe file systems and persistent storage
• Support ARINC 615/615A data loading and DevSecOps automation
• Implement zeroization and cybersecurity services
• Perform hardware/software bring-up on OpenVPX platforms
• Conduct system-level debugging across compute, I/O, and video subsystems
• Optimize performance on NXP QorIQ multicore architectures
• Integrate hardware acceleration engines and DMA paths
• Support verification, qualification, and acceptance testing
• Perform root cause analysis and corrective actions
• Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, systems, cybersecurity, and test teams
• Develop and maintain software design descriptions, ICDs, and test artifacts
• Participate in Agile development and configuration management
• Support customer reviews and program milestones

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• Minimum of 5 years of embedded software development experience
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ and Python
• Full SDLC experience (requirements, design, implementation, integration, and test)
• Experience with real-time operating systems (VxWorks, LynxOS, or equivalent)
• Experience working with ARINC 653 partitioned systems
• Experience developing embedded device drivers
• Familiarity with FPGA-based peripherals
• Experience with avionics data buses (MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, RS-422/485)
• Strong system-level debugging and integration skills
• U.S. citizenship required
• 7+ years of aerospace/defense embedded systems experience
• Experience with Wind River 653 and FACE-aligned platforms
• Knowledge of DO-178C and DO-297 processes
• Experience with OpenVPX and modular avionics architectures
• Experience with video processing and display systems
• Familiarity with ARINC 661, ARINC 818, SDI, and graphics pipelines
• Experience with hardware acceleration engines
• Prior technical leadership or mentoring experience
• Experience in adoption and/or integration of emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI, automation platforms, digital assistants) into day-to-day operations for continuous improvement