Freelance Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in Florida

Job Title: Systems Engineer

Job Description

This role leads system architecture definition, requirements development, and end-to-end integration and verification across a portfolio of complex, interconnected embedded systems. The Systems Engineer ensures system-level consistency, performance, and compliance with program objectives while coordinating execution across multidisciplinary engineering teams in schedule-driven, often fixed-price environments. The position focuses on interface control, lifecycle systems engineering, and technical leadership in regulated or mission-critical settings, with a strong emphasis on embedded systems, hardware/software integration, and high-speed communication technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end systems engineering activities across multiple related systems, including system architecture definition, requirements development, interface management, risk assessment, verification planning, and formal design reviews such as SRR, PDR, CDR, PRR and TRR.
• Establish, decompose, and maintain system-level requirements with full traceability to customer specifications, derived constraints, verification methods, and subsystem allocations.
• Coordinate technical execution across internal teams and external partners, ensuring consistent system architecture, controlled interfaces, aligned schedules, and delivery of verified, compliant system capabilities.
• Develop and maintain key system artifacts, including system block diagrams, interface control documents (ICDs), data flow diagrams, verification matrices, integration strategies, and detailed test plans.
• Lead and facilitate technical interchange meetings (TIMs), cross-functional design reviews, peer reviews, and supplier technical assessments with a strong focus on verification readiness and overall system completeness.
• Collaborate closely with software, hardware, test engineering, manufacturing, configuration management, and program management teams to ensure cohesive system behavior and robust lifecycle verification.
• Provide leadership in configuration control, requirements management, and verification processes, supporting continuous improvement initiatives and adherence to industry quality standards such as AS9100 or equivalent.
• Drive full lifecycle systems engineering for embedded systems, from concept and architecture through detailed design, integration, verification, and transition to manufacturing.
• Apply data-driven decision-making to manage complex system interactions, interface control, and hardware/software integration challenges.
• Use tools such as Jira to manage program and engineering workflows, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, reporting, and cross-team coordination.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers, helping to mature systems engineering practices and foster a culture of technical excellence.
• Support alignment of Agile development practices with fixed-price, schedule-driven program commitments and contractual deliverables.
• Contribute to environmental qualification planning and testing strategies in accordance with relevant standards when applicable.
• Engage with stakeholders, including customers and leadership, to clearly present technical concepts, status, risks, and trade-offs.

Essential Skills

• Strong proficiency in full lifecycle systems engineering for embedded systems, including architecture definition, requirements development, integration, verification, and transition to manufacturing.
• Ability to operate effectively in fixed-price, schedule-driven environments while supporting Agile development practices.
• Hands-on experience defining, refining, and maintaining traceable requirements baselines, including system modeling, analysis, and verification aligned to program commitments.
• Solid background in high-speed serial communication technologies and mixed hardware/software architectures, including integration of embedded processors and high-speed communication interfaces.
• Demonstrated capability to support system architecture definition, decomposition, design reviews, and configuration-controlled updates throughout the hardware/software lifecycle.
• Strong understanding of embedded systems, hardware/software integration, interface control, and data-driven decision-making across complex system interactions.
• Experience managing program and engineering workflows using tools such as Jira for sprint planning, backlog grooming, reporting, and cross-team coordination.
• Systems engineering experience with a focus on requirements development and lifecycle systems engineering.
• Electrical or hardware background with the ability to work closely with hardware and manufacturing teams.
• Experience working with internal and external stakeholders, partners, or similar collaborative environments.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills, with the ability to clearly present technical concepts to customers, leadership, and cross-functional teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in systems engineering or closely related disciplines.
• Status as a U.S. Person with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience supporting government or defense-related research, development, or acquisition programs.
• Familiarity with requirements management tools such as DOORS or similar platforms.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams and aligning Agile development with fixed-price contractual deliverables.
• Knowledge of environmental qualification standards and testing methods such as MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-810.
• Understanding of configuration management practices and their application to complex hardware/software systems.
• Experience working with systems and equipment used in military installations or similar mission-critical environments.
• Ability to support products from initial design through to manufacturing and production release.
• Interest in contributing to continuous improvement of systems engineering processes and organizational best practices.

Work Environment

The work centers on advanced space communication devices and programs that support navy-cleared contracts and other mission-critical applications. The position is currently 100% onsite due to the sensitive nature of the work and the need for close collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams. The environment is primarily cubicle-based office space with manufacturing and integration areas located in the same facility, enabling direct interaction with hardware and production activities. The organization is stable, with multiple recent awards and ongoing investment, including a move into a brand-new facility. The team culture balances social and family-oriented lifestyles; some team members enjoy group activities such as happy hours and socializing outside of work, while others prioritize family time, and both approaches are welcomed and respected.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Melbourne, FL.

The pay range for this position is $55.00 - $84.13/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 fully onsite position in Melbourne,FL.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 6, 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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