Software Engineer

Job Title: Software Engineer Job Description
This role offers an exciting opportunity to apply your software engineering expertise to develop advanced software for tactical strike guided munition programs. You will design and implement robust, innovative software frameworks and support the full lifecycle of software products, including analysis tools and simulations, mission planning software, and components of mission-critical systems. The position emphasizes high reliability, safety, and performance in a complex, mission-driven environment.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement full-stack software architecture and design patterns for missile system applications that support major system functions such as guidance, navigation, control, telemetry, and mission planning.
- Develop software frameworks and components that are robust, modular, reusable, portable, and maintainable, ensuring they meet system-level requirements.
- Participate actively in technical reviews, design reviews, and code reviews to ensure software quality, compliance with standards, and adherence to best practices.
- Apply and enforce coding standards and software engineering best practices throughout the development process.
- Contribute to technical decisions on tools, frameworks, and development approaches that best support program objectives.
- Support the fielding, deployment, and maintenance of software products, including mission planning tools, simulations, and mission-critical system components.
- Collaborate frequently and directly with team members and other stakeholders to clarify requirements, resolve issues, and coordinate development activities.
- Support flight test operations by preparing software for tests, assisting during test execution, and performing post-test analysis of results.
- Develop software that complies with military and aviation standards for safety, cybersecurity, and Risk Management Framework (RMF) requirements.
- Apply software configuration management principles and techniques to manage baselines, changes, and releases in a controlled and traceable manner.
- Incorporate software quality engineering concepts and good software standards and practices into daily development activities.
Essential Skills
- Bachelors degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, or an equivalent technical discipline, with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- At least 2 years of relevant technical experience in software development or software engineering.
- Demonstrable experience with C and C++ programming languages.
- Proficiency in software development using C/C++ in systems-level or embedded contexts.
- Understanding of software architecture patterns and design principles, including system-level design.
- Experience with software engineering practices such as design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of complex software systems.
- Experience with software configuration management principles and techniques.
- Familiarity with software quality engineering concepts and good software standards and practices.
- Strong problem-solving abilities and a systems-level mindset when analyzing and designing software solutions.
- Ability to work with or obtain a security clearance at the Secret level.
- Experience working with or understanding real-time operating systems (RTOS) and real-time software constraints.
- Proficiency in general programming and software engineering for mission-critical or high-reliability systems.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience with embedded missile systems, aerospace systems, or weapons systems development.
- Familiarity with real-time embedded systems and their performance and reliability constraints.
- Knowledge of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) principles and their application to software and system architectures.
- Experience with containerization technologies, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, and microservices architectures.
- Knowledge of guidance and control algorithms, navigation systems, mission planning systems such as NOMS or JMPS, and related sensors.
- Proficiency with MATLAB and Simulink for algorithm development, modeling, and simulation.
- Understanding of hardwaresoftware integration and software systems engineering principles.
- Experience participating in or supporting flight test operations and post-test data analysis.
- Familiarity with military and aviation safety standards, cybersecurity requirements, and Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes.
Work Environment
You will work onsite as part of a dedicated software engineering team in a structured, mission-focused environment. The role involves close collaboration with other engineers and technical specialists, frequent technical discussions, and participation in formal reviews. You will work with modern software development tools and technologies, including C/C++ toolchains, real-time operating systems, configuration management systems, and potentially containerization and CI/CD platforms. The environment emphasizes disciplined engineering practices, adherence to safety and cybersecurity standards, and support for test and evaluation activities, including flight tests. The setting is a professional office and lab environment aligned with aerospace and defense projects, with standard business hours and occasional schedule flexibility to support testing and critical milestones.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Huntsville, AL.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $49.95 - $93.47/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Huntsville, AL.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 30, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Huntsville,AL. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.