Software Engineer - Safety Critical Embedded Systems

About Forterra

At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance.

Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives at risk. Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments.

About the role

Forterra is looking for a Software Engineer to design, implement, test, and maintain the safety critical embedded software used on our autonomous ground vehicles. This is an individual contributor role with work across the full software lifecycle, from requirements and design through implementation, integration, debugging, and verification. You will work with software, systems, test, and safety engineers to deliver dependable code, resolve difficult embedded problems, and produce the evidence needed for customer and safety reviews

Someone who enjoys working close to the hardware and wants to build software that has to behave correctly in the real world. You should be comfortable taking a problem from requirements through implementation, integration, debugging, and verification, while working closely with engineers in other disciplines

What you'll do

• Design, implement, and maintain safety critical embedded software for autonomous ground vehicle platforms.
• Turn system and software requirements into readable, testable C and C++ code.
• Implement fault detection, fault handling, diagnostics, and safe response behavior across supported vehicle platforms.
• Write unit, integration, and target based tests. Support automated verification and coverage analysis.
• Debug hardware, software, firmware, timing, communications, and integration problems using logs, traces, debuggers, and instrumentation.
• Take part in architecture, design, code, and test plan reviews with attention to correctness, safety, maintainability, and testability.
• Document implementation decisions, test results, anomaly resolution, and requirements traceability in a form that can be reviewed and reused.
• Work with systems, test, and safety engineers to improve requirements, resolve defects, support assessments, and strengthen shared software practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Three or more years of experience developing embedded software or safety critical software.
• Proficiency in C or C++ and working knowledge of Python or another scripting language.
• Experience developing software for an RTOS, embedded target, or other resource constrained system.
• Experience with Git, CMake, continuous integration, code review, and related software development practices.
• Familiarity with requirements management, requirements traceability, and software verification.
• Familiarity with MISRA C or MISRA C++, static analysis, unit testing, and code coverage.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, along with clear written and verbal communication
• 10-25% Travel

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience applying safety critical development and assurance standards such as ISO 26262, IEC 61508,
• DO-178C, MIL-STD-882E, JSSSEH, or JS-SSA-IG.
• Experience with QNX, Linux, NXP S32G, or similar embedded platforms.
• Experience with CAN, CAN-FD, Ethernet, UDS, J1939, or other vehicle networks and diagnostic protocols.
• Understanding of robotics domains such as motion control, planning, perception, fault management, and
• vehicle interfaces.
• Experience integrating electromechanical systems in automotive, aerospace, medical, industrial, defense,
• or similar environments.
• Experience providing technical leadership through design reviews, mentoring, or improvements to shared
• development practices

US Salary Range
 $150,000.00 —$175,000.00 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.  
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption. 
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires. 
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY - This position may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: click here.   

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in all personnel practices. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain.  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran and disability status, and criminal history, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Forterra is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.

To see Forterra’s candidate data privacy policy, please visit Forterra Legal | Job Applicant Privacy Notice.