Embedded Software Engineer

Job Title: Staff Embedded Software Engineer

Job Description

This role offers an exciting opportunity for a Staff Embedded Software Engineer to lead and contribute to firmware development for professional audio-visual products in a high-tech manufacturing environment. You will work hands-on across the full lifecycle of embedded firmware and video system design, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, reliable products. The position is based on-site in Torrance, CA, within a fast-paced and growing company that values teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and offers strong potential for rapid professional growth.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement embedded firmware for professional AV products, working closely with a team of hands-on engineers.
• Participate in the design, review, and testing of new video system designs, including hardware, software, and firmware components.
• Modify existing firmware to improve product performance and add new features based on product requirements and customer feedback.
• Document firmware designs and source code thoroughly, including specifications, source comments, and end-user documentation.
• Contribute to the design of analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits for video, control, and power systems in collaboration with hardware engineers.
• Participate in internal reviews of software components and systems to ensure quality, reliability, and adherence to engineering standards.
• Prepare clear and concise documentation of designs, analyses, and test results, including detailed engineering reports.
• Execute design verification and validation testing, including board bring-up, stress testing, and environmental qualification of embedded systems.
• Collaborate with Production, Marketing, and Sales teams to define product requirements, support product releases, and assist with product testing and support activities.
• Assist in the design and review of firmware for new products and prototypes, ensuring alignment with system-level requirements.
• Perform board bring-up activities, including basic hardware validation, troubleshooting, and integration of firmware with new hardware platforms.
• Work closely with project managers and other engineering professionals to deliver projects within defined scope, schedule, and expectations.
• Troubleshoot electrical and electronic issues at the board and system level, including circuits and communication interfaces such as I2C, SPI, UART, and PWM.
• Apply scripting techniques such as shell scripting and Perl to automate tasks, improve development efficiency, and support testing workflows.
• Support continuous improvement of engineering processes, tools, and documentation within the embedded firmware and hardware development teams.

Essential Skills

• Over 5 years of hands-on experience with embedded system design, firmware development, and software development.
• Strong proficiency in C programming for embedded systems.
• Microcontroller firmware development and programming experience, including board bring-up and low-level driver implementation.
• Experience developing firmware for Arm Cortex-M / STM32 microcontrollers.
• Experience with peripheral communication protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, and PWM.
• Ability to create, read, and interpret hardware schematics and apply this knowledge to firmware and hardware integration.
• Experience with FPGA development or board bring-up and a basic understanding of digital logic and RTL concepts.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting electrical and electronic circuits, including board-level debugging and hardwarefirmware integration issues.
• Experience with firmware testing, verification, and validation, including stress testing and environmental qualification.
• Practical experience with Linux environments for development, testing, or scripting.
• Applied scripting skills using shell scripting and Perl to automate tasks and improve engineering efficiency.
• Experience with embedded software development workflows, including design reviews, documentation, and version control.
• Ability to work on problems with defined scope and schedule, delivering reliable solutions within project expectations.
• Strong written documentation skills for design specifications, code comments, test reports, and user documentation.
• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with FPGA development using Verilog and familiarity with RTL and VHDL design flows.
• Hands-on experience with board bring-up, including power-on testing, hardware validation, and firmware integration.
• Experience troubleshooting complex boards and mixed-signal systems in a lab environment.
• Knowledge of analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuit design for video, control, and power systems.
• Experience with Linux-based development, testing, or deployment for embedded systems.
• Familiarity with additional scripting languages such as Python to further automate workflows and testing.
• Comfort working in a small, fast-growing engineering team where you may wear multiple hats and contribute across firmware, hardware, and system-level activities.
• Interest in working in a high-growth environment with opportunities for rapid responsibility expansion and leadership.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams including Production, Marketing, Sales, and external engineering partners.

Work Environment

The role is based on-site in Torrance, CA, within a compact and highly experienced engineering organization that includes in-house electrical engineers, overseas engineering partners, firmware developers, and FPGA engineers. You will work closely with engineers and cross-functional teams in a high-tech manufacturing environment focused on professional AV products. The company maintains a fast-paced yet supportive culture with a strong emphasis on teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement. The organization operates with a startup-like energy, offering the opportunity to work on a wide range of products while benefiting from the stability and resources of a more established business. The work schedule is structured around core hours from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with flexibility to choose your start and end times as long as you work eight hours per day. The position is primarily on-site, but there is flexibility to work from home when needed for appointments, and some engineers in the department regularly work from home on Fridays. The environment includes modern lab and manufacturing facilities, active product development, and a culture that celebrates milestones with company events and team gatherings.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Torrance, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $55.00 - $87.00/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)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Torrance,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 13, 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.

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.