Contract Embedded Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado

Job Title: Embedded Software Engineer

Job Description

This onsite Embedded Software Engineer role in Loveland, CO focuses on designing and developing embedded firmware for next-generation water quality instrumentation. You will work in a large, state-of-the-art R&D campus, collaborating closely with cross-functional engineering teams to build new products and ground-up architectures rather than sustaining legacy systems. The role combines embedded Linux, RTOS, and bare-metal development with hands-on hardware interaction, offering the opportunity to make a direct impact on global water quality while contributing to a growing, collaborative firmware team.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop embedded firmware solutions for new and existing water quality instrumentation products.
• Develop and maintain embedded software using C++ (and sometimes C) for microcontrollers and platforms including Linux, RTOS, and bare metal environments.
• Modify and extend existing code bases to meet evolving product and system requirements.
• Analyze requirements, estimate development effort, and deliver reliable, impactful solutions on schedule.
• Collaborate in an Agile team environment, participating in daily scrums, weekly development discussions, and sprint activities.
• Work closely with hardware engineers, reading schematics and interacting directly with hardware to debug and optimize system performance.
• Troubleshoot and debug embedded systems using tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and digital multimeters.
• Implement and maintain CI/CD practices and unit testing to support robust, repeatable builds and high-quality releases.
• Ensure code quality and reliability through rigorous debugging, testing, and adherence to best practices.
• Produce clear technical design documentation and contribute to system and industrial instrumentation architecture discussions.
• Develop and maintain device drivers and kernel-level software, focusing on hardware interfaces and Linux internal behavior rather than only user-space applications.
• Implement and support low-level hardware interfaces and communication protocols including I2C, SPI, UART, MODBUS, USB, and Ethernet.
• Engage in hands-on coding, building, deploying, and debugging activities throughout the development lifecycle.
• Participate in technical interviews and hands-on exercises to assess, mentor, and support the growth of engineering talent.
• Collaborate with diverse, cross-disciplinary teams in a highly integrated environment where design, R&D, testing, and manufacturing are largely in-house.
• Contribute to the growth and maturation of the firmware team, helping define and build new product architectures and development practices.
• Work on new product development initiatives, focusing on ground-up architectures for embedded systems and instrumentation rather than primarily sustaining work.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related engineering field, or equivalent applicable experience.
• 3+ years of experience in C++ user-space development and C (or embedded C) programming for embedded systems.
• 3+ years of experience with 32-bit microcontrollers and embedded platforms, including Linux, RTOS, and bare metal environments.
• Strong understanding of computer architecture, memory technologies, and software build processes.
• Proficiency working in embedded Linux environments, with a focus on Linux internals, kernel device drivers, and hardware interaction rather than only application-level development.
• Experience with device driver and kernel programming for embedded Linux platforms.
• Ability to read and interpret hardware schematics and work confidently with low-level hardware interfaces.
• Ability to code low-level hardware interfaces and interact directly with peripherals and sensors.
• Familiarity with industrial instrumentation architecture beyond general-purpose computing or storage-focused systems.
• Strong understanding and hands-on experience with communication protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, MODBUS, USB, and Ethernet.
• Proficiency in Agile methodologies and experience working in Agile software development teams.
• Strong debugging skills in both software and hardware environments, including use of oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and digital multimeters.
• Ability to produce technical design documentation and contribute to system-level design discussions.
• Demonstrated ability to work comfortably with both hardware and software in a firmware/embedded software engineering capacity.
• Prior professional experience working with C++ in embedded or systems-level contexts.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative engineering team, taking ownership of tasks from concept through deployment.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Embedded Systems Engineering or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of professional embedded software experience is strongly preferred; candidates with a minimum of 2–3 years of strong, relevant experience and a demonstrated ability to learn quickly will be considered.
• Experience developing in a Linux desktop environment using both IDEs and command-line tools.
• Experience with Embedded Linux build systems such as Yocto.
• Understanding of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and bare-metal development, including hardware interface design and implementation.
• Proficiency with scripting languages such as Shell or Bash, and familiarity with Python.
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP.
• Experience with Docker containers in a development or test environment.
• Exposure to user interface technologies such as React.js and Node.js is a plus.
• Experience in the water quality industry or with industrial instrumentation is a plus.
• Experience working in a diverse, inclusive, and highly collaborative engineering environment.
• Ability to clearly articulate technical concepts and trade-offs to both hardware and software stakeholders.
• A proactive, “go-getter” mindset with a strong appetite for learning new technologies and taking on challenging problems.
• Comfort working in an environment that emphasizes in-house design, testing, and manufacturing capabilities.

Work Environment

This role is based at a large, multi-building campus in Loveland, CO, with a minimum expectation of four days per week onsite and Friday as a flexible day. The campus includes a state-of-the-art building designed specifically for research and development, along with extensive in-house capabilities such as a 10-meter EMC chamber, HALT chamber, PCA/SMT line, injection molding, fabrication, and full production/manufacturing facilities. You will work in a collaborative environment that feels like an advanced, hands-on engineering design lab, with close-knit teams spanning nearly all engineering disciplines. The workday typically includes a daily scrum around 9 a.m., alignment on tasks and goals, and then focused time spent writing code, building and deploying firmware, troubleshooting and debugging hardware and software, and engaging in weekly development discussions to address system issues and interface requirements. The organization operates within a global network focused on water quality solutions, offering a culture that values innovation, collaboration, diversity, inclusion, and professional growth. The environment emphasizes direct access to hardware, lab equipment, and manufacturing resources, enabling rapid iteration and deep involvement in the full product lifecycle.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Loveland, CO.

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $80.00/hr.

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)

This is a hybrid position in Loveland,CO.

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 20, 2026.

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 actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

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