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Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

WI · On-site

$120K - $158K/yr

Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer Title and level will be determined based on your experience, skills, and the scope of responsibility appropriate for the role. What You'll Do * Develop and ...

The Sr Staff Embedded Software Engineer leads the development, verification, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to FDA-compliant design control procedures. They provide technical leadership ...

The Sr Staff Embedded Software Engineer leads the development, verification, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to FDA-compliant design control procedures. They provide technical leadership ...

Embedded Software Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$134K - $215K/yr

Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer Your title and level will be determined based on your experience, skills, and the scope of responsibility appropriate for the role. What You'll Do: * Develop ...

Embedded Software Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$134K - $215K/yr

Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer Your title and level will be determined based on your experience, skills, and the scope of responsibility appropriate for the role. What You'll Do: * Develop ...

CACI is seeking a senior staff-level embedded software engineer with deep electrical engineering and computer science experience to lead the architecture, development, and delivery of embedded ...

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Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer information

See salary details

$75.5K

$144.8K

$193.5K

How much do senior staff embedded software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior staff embedded software engineer in the United States is $144,773.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $124,000.00 and $162,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior staff embedded software engineer do?

A Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains software that runs on embedded systems—these are specialized computing systems often found in devices like medical instruments, automotive systems, and consumer electronics. They are responsible for creating efficient, reliable, and real-time software solutions tailored to hardware constraints. In addition to coding, they often lead technical teams, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate closely with hardware engineers to ensure seamless integration. Their expertise is crucial for delivering high-performance, safe, and dependable embedded software products.

What are the typical responsibilities and challenges faced by a senior staff embedded software engineer in cross-functional project teams?

Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineers often serve as technical leaders within cross-functional project teams, collaborating closely with hardware engineers, project managers, and QA specialists. They are responsible for architecting and developing complex embedded systems, ensuring software-hardware integration, and mentoring junior team members. A common challenge is balancing technical depth with project deadlines, requiring strong prioritization and communication skills. Additionally, they frequently address intricate debugging scenarios and help set best practices across teams, making adaptability and collaboration essential for success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior staff embedded software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in embedded systems design, C/C++ programming, real-time operating systems (RTOS), and typically a degree in computer engineering or a related field. Familiarity with hardware interfaces, development tools like oscilloscopes and logic analyzers, and certifications such as Certified Embedded Systems Engineer (CESE) are often valuable. Leadership, problem-solving, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for driving complex projects and mentoring junior engineers. These capabilities ensure the delivery of robust embedded solutions and successful cross-functional collaboration in advanced technology environments.

What is the difference between Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer vs Embedded Software Engineer?

AspectSenior Staff Embedded Software EngineerEmbedded Software Engineer
QualificationsBS/MS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related; extensive experienceBachelor's degree in relevant field; entry to mid-level experience
Work EnvironmentDesigning complex embedded systems, leading projects, mentoringDeveloping firmware, testing, debugging embedded applications
ResponsibilitiesArchitecting systems, technical leadership, cross-team collaborationWriting code, testing hardware-software integration, troubleshooting

The Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer typically has more experience, leadership responsibilities, and works on complex system architecture, while the Embedded Software Engineer focuses on coding and testing embedded applications. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the senior staff position involves strategic planning and mentorship.

What cities are hiring for Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer job openings:

What states have the most Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer jobs?

For Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Senior Staff Embedded Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 15% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $144,773 per year, or $69.6 per hour.

Sr. Staff Embedded Software Engineer

Rolling Meadows, IL • On-site

Northrop Grumman Corporation
Space Research Administration • 10K+ employees

$124K - $163K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted 12 days ago


Northrop Grumman rating

8.3

Company rating: 8.3 out of 10

Based on 372 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission!
As a Sr. Staff Embedded Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of Model-based Engineering, DevSecOps and Agile practices we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team-oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning, and a culture of automation.
Northrop Grumman is looking to add to our talented team of Embedded Software Engineers. Our engineers are self-starters who are part of a team of software professionals developing world-class software to meet our customer's high expectations. The Embedded Software Engineer designs, develops, operates, and maintains software and firmware components and computing systems software to be applied to and integrated with engineering, scientific and manufacturing requirements. The individual shall apply the appropriate standards, processes, procedures, and tools throughout the system development life cycle to support the generation of engineering applications and products within the Targeting Business Unit. This includes interfacing with customers, suppliers, application users and other technical and support personnel. The ideal individual will have experience including the full software development life cycle, which includes requirements, design, coding, testing, and integration.
#MSRMTA
This position will be full-time, on-site at our Rolling Meadows, IL. location.
Basic Qualifications for Sr. Staff Embedded Software Engineer:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or similar engineering discipline with a minimum of 14+ years of engineering experience, or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or similar engineering discipline with a minimum of 12+ years of engineering experience, or a PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or similar engineering discipline with a minimum of 10+ years of engineering experience, or in lieu of degree, an additional 4 years of experience is required.
  • Object Oriented Programming in C++
  • Familiarity with Software architecture (design patterns, objected oriented design)
  • Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, Bash, Batch, etc)
  • Experience Developing Embedded Software running Linux or VxWorks Operating Systems
  • Familiarity with software development methodologies and frameworks such as Waterfall Methodology and/or Agile
  • Familiarity with various version control systems (Git, Gitlabs, Github, Bitbucket, ClearCase. etc) and Agile software planning tools (Rally, Jira, etc)
  • US Citizenship
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a minimum of a Secret clearance prior to start.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience with Object Oriented Programming in C++11
  • Knowledge with scripting languages (Python, Bash, Batch, etc)
  • Experience with Software development methodologies and frameworks such as Waterfall Methodology and/or Agile.
  • Experience testing, debugging, and integrating Embedded Software on target hardware.
  • Experience with complex systems of systems that utilize Parallel Processing, Multi-Threading, Distributed Processing, Multi-Core, System-on-Chip, and Secure Processing.
  • Active Secret Clearance
  • Differentiating characteristics include demonstrated leadership and teamwork capability, interpersonal communication skills and activities.

Primary Level Salary Range: $184,100.00 - $276,100.00
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

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About Northrop Grumman

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible.

Industry

Space research administration

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US

Year founded

1939