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# Software Systems Engineer

- **Company:** Forterra
- **Location:** Clarksburg, MD, United States (Remote available)
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $150,000.0 - $175,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Systems Engineering, C++ (Programming Language), Computer Engineering, Embedded Software, Real-Time Operating Systems, Requirements Traceability, Software Requirements Analysis, Data Streaming, Systems Modeling Language, UML, Jama (Software), DOORS (Software), Information Technology, DO-178B, Industrial Software
- **Published:** October 22, 2026
- **Apply:** https://startup.jobs/software-systems-engineer-safety-critical-embedded-systems-forterra-company-10570297

## About the Role

* Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
 * Five or more years of systems engineering experience with complex embedded, autonomous, automotive, aerospace, defense, or industrial systems.
 * Hands on experience developing and managing system or software requirements, including requirements traceability and clear verification criteria.
 * Experience with functional decomposition, allocation, interface definition, and architecture development for embedded systems.
 * Working technical knowledge of embedded software, including C or C++, RTOS concepts, communications, and hardware and software interfaces.
 * Experience using requirements or architecture tools such as Jama, DOORS, SysML, UML, or comparable tools.
 * Familiarity with verification planning, integration, anomaly resolution, and technical evidence for customer or program reviews.
 * Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical relationships clearly, * Experience applying safety critical development and assurance standards such as MIL-STD-882E, JSSSEH,JS-SSA-IG, ISO 26262, IEC 61508, or DO-178C.
 * Experience with hazard analysis and safety engineering activities such as FHA, STPA, functional allocation, mitigation analysis, or safety case development.
 * Experience defining interfaces and behavior for vehicle networks, diagnostics, fault management, orsafety monitoring functions.
 * Understanding of robotics domains such as motion control, planning, perception, localization, vehicle dynamics, and platform integration.
 * Experience working across multiple vehicle variants or programs while maintaining a reusable technical baseline.
 * Experience providing technical leadership through architecture reviews, requirements workshops, mentoring, or cross functional integration

## Description

Forterra is looking for a Software Systems Engineer to define and integrate the requirements, architecture, interfaces, and verification approach for safety critical embedded software supporting autonomous ground vehicles. This is an individual contributor role that works across software, systems, test, and safety engineering. You will turn operational and safety needs into implementable requirements and interfaces, maintain the technical thread through verification, and help the team understand how the software will behave, integrate, and perform across multiple platforms

Someone who can connect system intent to implementation. You should be comfortable moving between functions, requirements, interfaces, architecture, software behavior, and verification evidence. The role requires enough technical depth to work directly with embedded software teams and enough systems perspective to see how decisions affect the larger vehicle and safety case.

What you'll do

 * Derive, refine, and maintain system and software requirements for safety critical embedded functions.
 * Break system functions into implementable software responsibilities and support functional allocation across system elements.
 * Define interfaces, data flows, operating modes, fault behavior, and assumptions for embedded software components.
 * Maintain the relationship between hazards, safety goals, mitigations, requirements, architecture, and verification evidence through requirements traceability.
 * Review software and system designs for completeness, consistency, testability, diagnosability, and safe behavior under faults and abnormal conditions.
 * Work with software and test engineers to establish verification methods, resolve requirement issues, and assess coverage and evidence.
 * Support architecture reviews, requirements reviews, technical baseline reviews, integration reviews, and customer reviews with clear technical analysis and documentation.
 * Work across development, test, safety, and program teams to resolve cross component issues and maintain a reusable platform baseline.