Software Systems Engineer Jobs

Software Systems Engineer jobs are open across defense, aerospace, enterprise software, telecommunications, and embedded systems, from new-grad to principal and staff engineer, with specializations in real-time systems, systems architecture, and firmware integration. Find a role that fits from the openings below and apply directly.

Find JobsLooking for remote work? View remote software systems engineer jobs →Student or new grad? View software systems engineer internships →

Overview

Open roles688+
Top stateCalifornia
Top employerMeta
Top citySan Francisco, CA
Work type44% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 688+ Software Systems Engineer jobs

Principal Software Engineer - Systems Integration
We won't show you this job again
New 6h ago
Principal Software Engineer - Systems Integration
BAE Systems USA
Nashua, New Hampshire
Engineering (Non-Software)
Systems Administration
Technical Program Management
$118k - $201k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor of Science
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

ADAS Systems and Software Engineer II
We won't show you this job again
New 9h ago
ADAS Systems and Software Engineer II
Adapt Technology
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Solutions Engineering & Architecture
Specialized Engineering
Systems Administration
Technical Program Management
$37 - $48/hr
Hybrid
Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
11-50

Have you applied for this role?

Senior Software Engineer, Digital Platforms and Embedded Systems
We won't show you this job again
New 18h ago
Senior Software Engineer, Digital Platforms and Embedded Systems
BAE Systems USA
Nashua, New Hampshire
Creative & Design
Product Management
UI/UX Design
$97k - $165k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

Software Systems Engineer - GitHub Enterprise
We won't show you this job again
Added 1d ago
Software Systems Engineer - GitHub Enterprise
HP
Vancouver, Washington
Automation QA
Engineering (Non-Software)
$105k - $162k/yr
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

Have you applied for this role?

Staff Software Engineer (Backend, Business Systems)
We won't show you this job again
Added 1d ago
Staff Software Engineer (Backend, Business Systems)
Whoop
Boston, Massachusetts
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
Software Engineering
$170k - $230k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor of Science

Have you applied for this role?

Top Cities Hiring Software Systems Engineers

Explore software systems engineer openings in the cities hiring most right now.

See All 688+ Software Systems Engineer Jobs

Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Jobs

Software Systems Engineer Job Market

Who's Hiring

  • Meta37
  • Tesla16
  • ACCO Engineered Systems15
  • Google14
  • NVIDIA13

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software26
  • Science & Research9
  • Manufacturing5
  • Electronics & Hardware5
  • Aerospace & Defense3

What Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in software systems engineer jobs.

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a related engineering discipline
  • Proficiency in C, C++, or Python for systems-level development
  • Experience designing or integrating real-time or embedded systems
  • Familiarity with Linux internals, networking protocols, or hardware interfaces
  • Ability to obtain or hold a security clearance, depending on the sector
  • Experience with systems modeling tools, test frameworks, or CI/CD pipelines for systems code

Tips for Your Software Systems Engineer Job Search

Tailor your resume to each domain

Defense and aerospace postings often require different technical depth than enterprise software roles. Highlight domain-relevant experience like RTOS, hardware-software interfaces, or distributed systems explicitly, rather than relying on a generic systems engineering summary.

Quantify system-level design decisions

Hiring managers for this role want to see outcomes, not just tools. Call out latency improvements, reliability gains, or scale metrics that resulted from architecture choices you owned. Numbers tied to system behavior are more compelling than tool lists.

Apply early to roles that fit

Migrate Mate lists software systems engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.

Read job postings for unspoken stack signals

Software systems engineer postings rarely list every tool, but phrases like 'bare-metal,' 'hypervisor,' or 'FPGA integration' tell you exactly what the team runs. Match your application language to those signals, even when the tool isn't called out as a hard requirement.

Prepare a system design walkthrough story

Most technical interviews for this role include at least one deep-dive on a past project. Practice walking through requirements, constraints, your design decision, the tradeoffs you rejected, and how the system performed post-deployment. Judges will probe the tradeoffs hardest.

Negotiate scope, not just base pay

Systems engineering offers often have flexibility in technical scope, on-call rotation, and tooling budget that doesn't appear in the initial package. Once you have an offer, ask directly about ownership over architecture decisions and access to performance testing infrastructure.

Software Systems Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies are hiring the most software systems engineers?

The companies hiring the most software systems engineers right now include Meta, Tesla, and ACCO Engineered Systems, with the largest share of openings in California, Washington, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is particularly concentrated in defense contracting, enterprise infrastructure, and telecommunications.

How many software systems engineer jobs are remote?

About 56% of software systems engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the share varies significantly by specialization. Roles focused on cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, and enterprise software tend to offer more remote flexibility, while embedded systems, firmware, and cleared defense roles are more likely to require on-site or secure-facility work.

How do you become a software systems engineer?

Most software systems engineers start with a degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or systems engineering, then gain hands-on experience through internships or entry-level roles in firmware, backend infrastructure, or embedded development. Building depth in one domain, such as real-time systems or distributed architecture, and demonstrating end-to-end ownership of a system component are the steps that typically move candidates into a dedicated systems engineering title.

Can you get hired as a software systems engineer without much experience?

Yes, entry-level software systems engineer roles exist, especially at companies with structured rotation or associate engineering programs. The most effective path without direct experience is to build a portfolio that shows systems thinking: a documented side project involving an OS, networking stack, or embedded controller, with clear explanation of design constraints and tradeoffs, carries more weight than coursework alone.

What does the software systems engineer interview process look like?

The process typically includes a recruiter screen, a technical phone or video interview covering data structures and systems concepts, and a multi-stage onsite or virtual loop. Expect at least one session focused on system design, where you'll be asked to architect a component under real-world constraints. Roles in defense or cleared environments often add a background review stage before or alongside the technical rounds.

Where can I find and apply to software systems engineer jobs?

You can find and apply to software systems engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your background and apply directly to each one that fits.

See All 688+ Software Systems Engineer Jobs

Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Jobs