Chief Software Engineer

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions provides engineering services for aerospace and defense programs involving safety- and mission-critical systems. The Chief Software Engineer will serve as a customer-facing technical authority, leading software architecture, certification strategy, technical execution, and delivery consistency across multiple programs and teams.

Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary technical point of contact between our engineering teams and customer leadership
• Turn customer requirements, contract scope, and certification needs into a clear, executable architecture approach
• Lead architecture discussions, trade studies, and key technical decisions with customer stakeholders
• Help guide customer technical direction while staying aligned with program scope and delivery commitments
• Present architecture, compliance approach, and technical risks in customer and executive reviews
• This isn’t a back-office architect role. You’ll be directly involved in active programs, working side-by-side with customers and delivery teams
• Define and lead software architecture for embedded, real-time, high-assurance systems
• Ensure alignment with key standards and processes, including: DO-178C (DAL A–C), ARP4754A system allocations, Safety assessments and hazard mitigation, Certification objectives and supporting evidence
• Drive core architectural decisions around: Modernization approaches, Partitioning strategy, Interface design, Timing and resource management, Fault containment and system robustness, Safety-driven design patterns
• This role operates in a services-based delivery environment, not an internal OEM setup. That means architecture has to support execution just as much as design
• Define architecture in a way that enables: Multiple scrum teams working in parallel, Coordination across distributed teams (onshore/offshore as needed), Clear breakdown of work into executable packages
• Structure architecture artifacts to support: Traceability to the Statement of Work, Milestone-based delivery and billing, Predictable integration and verification progress
• Contribute to proposals by helping define: ROM estimates, Effort breakdowns, Technical risks, Staffing plans based on system complexity
• Provide hands-on architectural guidance across multiple engineers and/or scrum teams
• Help break down requirements into clear, testable, and implementable components
• Mentor engineers at all levels in safety-critical development practices
• Lead design reviews, interface reviews, and technical quality checks
• Ensure consistency in how solutions are implemented across teams
• Lead planning and alignment for certification artifacts, including: PSAC inputs, SDP/SVP alignment, Traceability approach, Tool qualification considerations (DO-330, if applicable)
• Work closely with customer DERs and certification authorities as needed
• Make architectural decisions with certification in mind to reduce downstream risk
• Identify architectural risks early (multicore timing, partitioning issues, interface changes, unstable requirements)
• Put mitigation plans in place and tie them to program milestones
• Support internal and customer reviews with clear, data-driven risk updates
• Ensure the architecture supports predictable integration and verification

Requirements:

• all applicants must be U.S. citizens
• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
• Significant experience architecting DO-178C compliant software (DAL A–C)
• Background working in an engineering services or supplier delivery environment
• Proven ability to lead software architecture across multiple teams and programs
• Solid embedded software foundation (C/C++ in avionics-type environments)
• Experience working directly with customers on regulated aerospace programs
• DAL A experience
• Experience supporting major aerospace OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers
• ARINC 653 or partitioned RTOS environments
• Multicore certification strategy
• Model-based development exposure (DO-331 context)
• Integration lab or iron-bird environment exposure
• Experience building or scaling Centers of Excellence or capability-based delivery teams