Software Engineer

SAIC is seeking a *Software Engineer* to support the eXtensible Flight System (XFS), a configurable, modular software product used to develop advanced flight displays using the Avilution XFS software. In this role, you will contribute to the design, implementation, and verification of safety-critical avionics software developed under DO-178C (DAL C) objectives. This role will be onsite in *Huntsville, AL.* You will work primarily in C, with Python used for automation, tooling, and test infrastructure, in an agile environment supported by a modern CI/CD pipeline. This position is ideal for an engineer who enjoys low-level, high-reliability software development, working with modular architectures, and building robust capabilities that directly impact flight crew situational awareness and safety. *Responsibilities and Duties* *Core Software Development* * Design, implement, and maintain XFS software components in C, following DO-178C DAL C processes and coding standards. * Develop and enhance configurable, modular flight display features and associated infrastructure. * Implement and maintain Python-based tools, scripts, and test harnesses to support development, integration, and verification activities. *Safety-Critical & Standards-Driven Engineering* * Apply DO-178C-compliant development practices, including rigorous requirements-based design, traceability, and verification. * Contribute to the development and review of software requirements, architecture, design, and low-level implementation artifacts. * Participate in and support software verification activities (unit, integration, and system testing) to demonstrate compliance with DO-178C DAL C objectives. *Integration, CI/CD, and Tooling* * Integrate XFS components with other flight software elements, data sources, and target platforms (e.g., real-time operating systems or embedded targets, as applicable). * Support and improve the CI/CD pipeline to automate builds, tests, static analysis, and deployment to development/integration environments. * Use and enhance static analysis, code coverage, data coupling, control coupling, Worst Case Execution Time analysis and other quality tools to ensure reliability and maintainability. *Agile Collaboration and Technical Leadership* * Work within an agile team (e.g., Scrum or Kanban), participating in sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily standups, reviews, and retrospectives. * Collaborate with systems engineers, test engineers, and human-factors/UX personnel to refine requirements into implementable software features. * Participate in peer reviews of requirements, design, code, and test cases to ensure quality, safety, and compliance. * Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers, promoting best practices for safety-critical software development. *Documentation, Quality, and Continuous Improvement* * Produce and maintain clear technical documentation (design descriptions, interface specifications, test procedures, and reports) in support of certification and audit needs. * Contribute to process improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, quality, and consistency of the XFS development lifecycle. * Investigate and resolve defects and field issues, including root cause analysis and robust corrective actions. *Education Requirements:* * Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field and two (2) years’ experience; Six (6) years’ additional experience can be considered in lieu of degree (per contract vehicle). *Clearance Requirements:* * Must possess an active Interim Secret security clearance with the ability to obtain a Secret security clearance; US Citizenship required. *Required Experience:* * Professional software engineering experience, including substantial hands-on work in C. * Strong proficiency in C programming, including memory management, pointers, data structures, and low-level debugging. * Experience with Python for scripting, test automation, and tooling. * Experience developing software in an agile environment (Scrum, Kanban) with iterative delivery. * Familiarity with CI/CD concepts and tools (e.g., Git-based workflows, automated builds, automated test execution). * Solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals: requirements, design, implementation, verification, and configuration management. * Experience with unit and integration testing, including writing test cases and analyzing results. * Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently on complex issues and collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team. * Clear written and verbal communication skills, including participation in technical reviews and documentation. *Preferred Experience:* * Experience developing safety- or mission-critical software, particularly in the aerospace/avionics domain. * Working knowledge of DO-178C processes and objectives, especially at DAL C or higher, including traceability and verification practices. * Experience with flight displays, avionics, or embedded real-time systems. * Familiarity with static analysis tools, code coverage tools, and other quality/compliance tooling commonly used in DO-178C environments. * Experience with configuration management and issue tracking tools (e.g., Git, GitLab/GitHub/Bitbucket, Jira). * Experience with Microsoft Azure DevOps (ADO) for working item tracking, source control, build/release pipelines, and test management. * Knowledge of model-based development, graphical display frameworks, or configurable/UI-driven systems is a plus. * Prior experience mentoring other engineers or serving as a technical lead on development efforts.