Graduate Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California

General program information and/or position overview:
Leidos' Undersea Systems Division is seeking a Software / Embedded Systems Engineer in San Diego, CA to join a fast-paced R&D engineering group. This role is a unique opportunity to drive innovation in underwater vehicle systems, maritime sensors, subsea telemetry, and ISR solutions that support critical defense and national security missions at Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific (NIWC PAC).
Leidos' USD is a recognized leader in C4ISR technologies, delivering innovative, mission-critical solutions across sensor networks, unmanned systems, and tactical platforms. We're known for achieving "industry firsts" in the most challenging maritime domains.
Join us and be part of a world-class team delivering unmatched solutions for today's most pressing maritime missions.
This position will require the candidate to maintain a Secret Clearance.
This position will require the candidate to work a 9/80B schedule (80 hours of work into nine days over a two-week period, allowing for every other Friday off) onsite at NIWC to align with the NIWC government team.
Primary Responsibilities:
This individual will work with a small team of engineers and technicians to develop, test, and deliver uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) based on system requirements. Specific development includes software related to operations of UUVs as well as sensor integration.
Embedded systems focus:

• Firmware Development:
  • Designing, coding, and debugging system software in C/C++.
  • Writing device drivers and implementing communication protocols like SPI, I2C, and UART
• Hardware Integration
  • Collaborating with teams to select components (microcontrollers, sensors) and ensuring firmware operates on the physical board
• System Optimization
  • Analyzing and enhancing the efficiency, stability, and scalability of system resources.
• DevOps & Validation
  • Managing project documents using automation tools and implementing regression tests

• Documentation
• Maintaining code comments, design specifications, and test reports throughout project's progression

Hardware development focus:

• Design & Architecture
  • Creating detailed schematics and blueprints for computer systems, circuit boards (PCBs), and processors. This often involves selecting specific components like sensors, memory devices, and power management units
• Prototyping
  • Building physical models of new hardware to prove concepts. This can include hands-on tasks like soldering components to boards in a lab setting
• Testing & Validation
  • Using laboratory tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters to verify that the physical hardware meets performance and safety specifications
• Manufacturing Oversight
  • Supervising the assembly process for newly designed.
  • Soliciting quotes and overseeing 3rd party PCB/PCBA fabricators
• System Maintenance
  • Modifying existing hardware designs to improve performance or to ensure compatibility with new software updates

Testing involves working onboard small boats and ships on the ocean, launching and recovering systems at-sea, and post-test analysis of data. Reporting includes providing results from post-test data analysis into official reports or briefing material. Most development and testing will be conducted in San Diego; however, engineers may occasionally travel in support of testing and/or operations in other locations both in the U.S. and abroad and may spend multiple days at-sea onboard ships.
In addition to primary duties, this individual will be encouraged to develop expertise on the functionality and operations of one or more UUV platforms and may be asked to operate the system at-sea during test and evaluation.
Basic Qualifications:

• This position requires U.S. citizenship. Existing security clearance is highly desired. Active SECRET (or higher) clearance is required.
• Bachelor of Science (+4 years of relevant experience) or Master of Science (+2 years of relevant experience) in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering.
• Must be flexible and responsive to customer needs.
• Requires frequent movement around piers, docks, and facility spaces.
• Required to transport or lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds across the facility.
• Requires constant use of hands/fingers to operate machinery, tools, or computer equipment.
• Requires ability to move about the warehouse, stoop, kneel, or reach for extended periods.
• Ability to climb ladders up to 20 feet.
• Requires work in various temperatures and inclement weather.

Preferred Qualifications:
Candidates should possess a large subset of the following:

• Embedded systems: electronic hardware implementation/testing and software programming
• Basic Linux operation
• Experience with Embedded Linux board bring-up, bootloaders (U-boot), and build systems (Yocto)
• Experience with Embedded Linux driver development
• Embedded RTOS Experience (freeRTOS)
• Language programming fluency
  • C/C++
  • Python
  • GIT workflow
• Programming experience with:
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Field-Programmable Gate Arrays
  • Microcontrollers
  • Real-time programming
• Experience with robotics applications.
• Linear and non-linear controls theory and application.

Applicant shall have experience working in teams to develop solutions, deliver products, and test and evaluate performance. Applicant shall have experience and skill analyzing experiment data to determine results as feedback into the development cycle. Applicant shall have strong technical writing skills to provide input to technical reports and briefing material.
An ideal candidate would have experience with uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) operations, including experience with sensor integration, mission constructs, and command and control. Experience with at-sea test and evaluation (T&E) to include operations onboard small craft and large ships at sea is desired. A willingness to conduct such testing is required.
SUBSEAMSS
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
August 17, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.