Linux Systems Engineer

Job Title: Linux Systems Engineer

Job Description

The Linux Systems Engineer serves as a systems-level technical facilitator and architecture coordinator for embedded control systems used in power generation products, including generator set and power system controllers. This role operates at the intersection of embedded software, controls engineering, communications networks, and system-level validation, enabling the evolution of control platforms from RTOS-based systems to Embedded Linux environments. You will work closely with architecture, controls, software, and validation teams to ensure cohesive system behavior, robust integration, and full traceability from requirements through validation, with a strong emphasis on documentation, testability, and cross-functional execution. The position requires deep understanding of embedded systems and software development to effectively support integration, debugging, and validation of complex, networked control systems.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and lead structured technical design discussions, driving clear decisions, trade-offs, and actionable outcomes across embedded control system features.
• Ensure that designs align with system architecture principles for both RTOS-based platforms and Embedded Linux systems.
• Drive integration across hardware, software, firmware, and communication layers to achieve coherent system-level behavior and well-defined interfaces.
• Define and maintain system interfaces and communication models, including data flow, timing behavior, and interactions across controllers, devices, and networked components.
• Support the design and integration of features that interact with power system controls, including generator, switchgear, and distributed energy system applications.
• Facilitate alignment on communication architectures, including Ethernet-based systems and industrial communication frameworks such as OPC UA, DDS, or similar technologies.
• Develop and maintain architecture artifacts such as system diagrams, network representations, interface definitions, and decision logs to ensure traceability from requirements through design and validation.
• Identify and resolve system-level ambiguities, architectural gaps, and integration risks, including failure modes, communication behaviors, and edge-case conditions.
• Engage with software and platform teams to understand embedded system behavior, including interactions between application software, middleware, operating system, and hardware.
• Support system-level debugging and integration analysis, investigating issues that span embedded software, operating system behavior, networking, and hardware interactions.
• Partner with validation teams to define system-level test strategies, including networked test environments, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, and integration lab testing.
• Support the development of test setups and validation environments to evaluate reliability, startup behavior, communication stability, and recovery scenarios.
• Ensure consistency between design intent, configuration artifacts, and validation outcomes to enable traceable and repeatable system verification.
• Support the use of model-based, data-driven, or configuration-driven workflows, ensuring alignment between system definition and deployed behavior.
• Act as a cross-functional integration leader, coordinating across global teams, stakeholders, and subject-matter experts to drive system readiness and resolve technical issues.
• Track and drive closure of cross-team dependencies, design actions, and integration issues to maintain program progress.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering processes, documentation standards, validation infrastructure, and design governance practices.

Essential Skills

• Strong understanding of embedded systems and software architecture, including software layering across drivers, middleware, and application, as well as system services and hardware interaction.
• Hands-on experience with Embedded Linux systems, including system architecture, services, processes, networking, and runtime behavior in embedded environments.
• Practical experience with embedded software or firmware development environments, including build systems, deployment workflows, and basic debugging approaches.
• Understanding of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and the differences between RTOS-based and Linux-based control architectures.
• Experience with embedded communications and networking, including Ethernet-based systems and distributed communication frameworks such as OPC UA, DDS, or comparable technologies.
• Ability to analyze and troubleshoot system-level issues that span software, operating system, networking, and hardware domains.
• Familiarity with real-time and deterministic system constraints, including timing behavior, scheduling, communication latency, and system recovery characteristics.
• Experience with system integration and validation, including development of test plans, test setups, and evaluation of integrated system behavior.
• Familiarity with integration lab environments, networked test systems, or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing approaches.
• Understanding of configuration-driven or model-based development approaches and how they translate into deployed system behavior.
• Demonstrated systems thinking capability, with the ability to evaluate end-to-end system behavior, subsystem dependencies, and design trade-offs.
• Proven ability to lead technical discussions and influence decisions without formal authority across architecture, software, controls, and validation teams.
• Strong documentation skills, including creation of architecture diagrams, interface definitions, validation documentation, and decision records.
• Ability to work effectively across multiple technical domains and collaborate with diverse engineering teams.
• Knowledge of real-time operating systems, Yocto, and Linux operating systems in embedded contexts.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with Yocto-based build systems for Embedded Linux platforms.
• Background in power system controls, including generator sets, switchgear, or distributed energy systems.
• Experience contributing to improvements in engineering processes, documentation standards, and design governance.
• Exposure to model-based, data-driven, or configuration-driven engineering workflows.
• Experience working with global, cross-functional engineering teams in a complex product development environment.

Work Environment

You will work in a collaborative, cross-functional engineering environment that brings together architecture, controls, software, networking, and validation teams to develop advanced embedded control platforms for power generation applications. The role involves close interaction with integration labs, networked test systems, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setups to validate system behavior under realistic operating conditions. You will regularly use Embedded Linux and RTOS-based platforms, Ethernet-based communication networks, and industrial communication frameworks such as OPC UA or DDS. The environment emphasizes structured design practices, rigorous documentation, and strong traceability from requirements through validation, while encouraging continuous improvement of engineering processes, tools, and validation infrastructure.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Minneapolis, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $57.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Minneapolis,MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 13, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.