Software Systems Engineer Jobs in California
Software Systems Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, semiconductor design, enterprise software, and advanced manufacturing, with openings at every level from junior systems engineer through principal and staff engineer. The largest hiring markets are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where established employers such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Qualcomm maintain deep engineering workforces. Embedded systems, systems integration, and model-based design are the specialties drawing the most consistent demand across California's defense corridor and Silicon Valley. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 235+ Software Systems Engineer jobs
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM:
The Factory Systems organization owns the physical-to-digital interface of the factory; the endpoints, software and the infrastructure foundation. Every factory relies on our tech stack - we power Anduril's next-generation manufacturing ecosystem.
ABOUT THE JOB:
We are seeking a highly skilled and driven Software Engineer to join a fast-paced team dedicated to the continued development and operation of a foundational software test platform. This platform is used to systematically and thoroughly test Anduril's products, and create analytics to improve our development processes. You will champion automation, and work to reduce operator time and instruction complexity through the use of parallel execution, data acquisition, and automated deployment tools. You'll solve complex, multi-platform problems, spanning software and hardware integration, supported by a talented team of engineers, product managers, and other cross-functional teams.
To succeed on this team you will need to be curious, technically adept, an excellent communicator, of a strong product mindset, be able to go from idea to implementation quickly, and take ownership and pride in your craft.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Work in a mini-startup environment to create elegant platform solutions that integrate effectively with edge and cloud systems
- Work with a high-functioning team of developers with an emphasis on finishing business-critical projects
- Write high-quality code that enhances the performance, scalability, and reliability of the platform
- Engage in code reviews, architectural discussions, and continuous improvement initiatives
- Provide technical support for platform users and troubleshoot issues as they arise
- Have areas of deep expertise in portions of the stack
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.
- 3 years of relevant industry software development experience.
- Proficient in design and develop RESTful backend services using .Net (C#/ASP.NET/.Net Core)
- Strong.
- Experience with design and operating cloud based architectures on AWS or similar cloud platforms.
- Experience with managing containerized applications using Docker, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code.
- Experience with major relational database (SQLite, SQL Server etc.) and/or NoSQL (AWS DynamoDB, Redis etc.).
- U.S. citizenship is required as this position needs to access export controlled data.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in hyper growth startup-like environments, with demonstrated success in scaling and maturing software development processes.
- Familiarity with edge-to-cloud communication, covering messaging protocols and message transfer semantics (exactly-once delivery, resiliency, and fault tolerance).
- Working knowledge of CPython internals - embedding CPython in a .NET process.
- Familiarity with frontier AI tooling, AI coding assistants, and AI-enabled software development workflows.
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
- Please always verify communications:
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
- Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.
Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM:
The Factory Systems organization owns the physical-to-digital interface of the factory; the endpoints, software and the infrastructure foundation. Every factory relies on our tech stack - we power Anduril's next-generation manufacturing ecosystem.
ABOUT THE JOB:
We are seeking a highly skilled and driven Software Engineer to join a fast-paced team dedicated to the continued development and operation of a foundational software test platform. This platform is used to systematically and thoroughly test Anduril's products, and create analytics to improve our development processes. You will champion automation, and work to reduce operator time and instruction complexity through the use of parallel execution, data acquisition, and automated deployment tools. You'll solve complex, multi-platform problems, spanning software and hardware integration, supported by a talented team of engineers, product managers, and other cross-functional teams.
To succeed on this team you will need to be curious, technically adept, an excellent communicator, of a strong product mindset, be able to go from idea to implementation quickly, and take ownership and pride in your craft.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Work in a mini-startup environment to create elegant platform solutions that integrate effectively with edge and cloud systems
- Work with a high-functioning team of developers with an emphasis on finishing business-critical projects
- Write high-quality code that enhances the performance, scalability, and reliability of the platform
- Engage in code reviews, architectural discussions, and continuous improvement initiatives
- Provide technical support for platform users and troubleshoot issues as they arise
- Have areas of deep expertise in portions of the stack
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field.
- 3 years of relevant industry software development experience.
- Proficient in design and develop RESTful backend services using .Net (C#/ASP.NET/.Net Core)
- Strong.
- Experience with design and operating cloud based architectures on AWS or similar cloud platforms.
- Experience with managing containerized applications using Docker, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code.
- Experience with major relational database (SQLite, SQL Server etc.) and/or NoSQL (AWS DynamoDB, Redis etc.).
- U.S. citizenship is required as this position needs to access export controlled data.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in hyper growth startup-like environments, with demonstrated success in scaling and maturing software development processes.
- Familiarity with edge-to-cloud communication, covering messaging protocols and message transfer semantics (exactly-once delivery, resiliency, and fault tolerance).
- Working knowledge of CPython internals - embedding CPython in a .NET process.
- Familiarity with frontier AI tooling, AI coding assistants, and AI-enabled software development workflows.
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
- Please always verify communications:
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
- Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.
Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.
See All 235+ Software Systems Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsSoftware Systems Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Software Systems Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Apple25
- Tesla15
- NVIDIA14
- Meta9
- OpenAI9
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software37
- Electronics & Hardware18
- Science & Research12
- Artificial Intelligence5
- Retail4
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in software systems engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in systems engineering, computer science, or a related engineering discipline required
- Proficiency in systems modeling languages such as SysML or UML for architecture documentation
- Experience with requirements management tools including DOORS, Jama, or equivalent platforms
- Active DoD security clearance or eligibility to obtain one preferred for defense-sector roles
- Familiarity with model-based systems engineering practices and digital thread workflows
- Experience supporting system verification and validation testing within a California defense or aerospace environment
Software Systems Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a software systems engineer in California?
The most direct path is a bachelor's degree in systems engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science, followed by entry into a junior systems or software engineering role at a California defense contractor, semiconductor company, or enterprise software firm. California does not require a state license specifically for software systems engineers, though Professional Engineer licensure through the California Board for Professional Engineers can strengthen candidacy for senior roles. Building experience with systems modeling, verification, and integration is the key differentiator.
How much do software systems engineers make in California?
Software systems engineers in California earn a median of about $174,410 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $105,060 for the lowest 10% to over $272,670 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire software systems engineers in California?
Employers hiring software systems engineers in California right now include Apple, Tesla, and NVIDIA, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of aerospace primes, defense contractors, and semiconductor firms means demand runs consistently across Southern California's defense corridor and the Bay Area's technology sector.
Which California cities have the most software systems engineer jobs?
San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara are the California cities with the most software systems engineer openings. The Bay Area's density of enterprise software and semiconductor employers drives volume in the north, while Los Angeles and San Diego reflect the strength of Southern California's aerospace and defense industry, where major program offices and engineering centers are based.
Are there remote software systems engineer jobs in California?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused roles, because systems engineering often involves hardware integration, lab testing, and program reviews that require on-site presence. About 41% of software systems engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with remote options concentrated in requirements analysis, architecture documentation, and model-based design work that does not depend on physical lab access.
How can I get hired as a software systems engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a new-graduate rotational or associate engineering program at a large California defense or aerospace employer, where candidates cycle through systems integration, test, and requirements disciplines before specializing. Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin all run structured early-career programs with California sites that hire new graduates. Adjacent roles such as systems test engineer, integration and test technician, or requirements analyst are common lateral starting points. A degree in systems or electrical engineering, even without work experience, is the primary qualifying credential.
Where can I find and apply to software systems engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to software systems engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly.
See All 235+ Software Systems Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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