About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Defense and Space Manufacturing.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Position overview

Confidential Client is seeking an entry-level Associate Embedded Software Engineer / Embedded Software Engineer (Manufacturing Test Engineering) to join the Manufacturing Test Engineering (IRCM) team in Rolling Meadows, IL. This role focuses on developing and supporting automated manufacturing test software and tools used in electronic hardware production and test environments. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain the security clearances necessary for the role.

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What You’ll Do

The Manufacturing Test Engineering software team delivers reliable, automated test solutions that enable efficient production and verification of complex hardware. Typical responsibilities include:

• Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot automated test software for manufacturing using C, C++, C#, and related toolchains
• Build and maintain test harnesses, device test software, and production automation scripts
• Integrate and debug software with electronic test hardware and instruments (oscilloscopes, signal generators, power supplies, power meters, etc.)
• Work with LabVIEW, TestStand and Visual Studio when applicable to create production test sequences and user interfaces
• Collaborate across manufacturing, hardware design, quality, and systems engineering teams to define and execute test strategies
• Diagnose and troubleshoot test equipment, production test failures, and prime hardware issues
• Support travel to manufacturing sites as needed (approx. 10% travel)

Core competencies expected of successful candidates:

• High levels of ownership and self-accountability
• Speed in execution with attention to quality
• Resilience in responding to technical and schedule challenges
• Courage to propose technical improvements and lead initiatives
• Ability to set vision and drive results for assigned products
• Team-building focus to help create a high-performing engineering team

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Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must meet ALL of the following minimum requirements:

• Completing or has completed a degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD) from an accredited institution
• Major in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related STEM field
• Experience programming in C, C++ and/or C#
• U.S. citizenship required to obtain and maintain U.S. Government security clearances (ability to obtain a Secret clearance and access to Special Access Programs as required)
• Willingness to work in a manufacturing/test engineering environment

Note (role-specific): Applicants for the Embedded Software Engineer title may be expected to hold a Master’s degree per the confidential client’s hiring criteria.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.0 or higher
• Experience in an electronic hardware manufacturing or firmware/software design environment
• Familiarity with lab test instruments (oscilloscope, signal generator, power supplies, power meters)
• Prior experience developing automated test software and troubleshooting test equipment
• Experience with Visual Studio, LabVIEW, TestStand, and GitHub source control
• Active DoD security clearance is a plus

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Compensation

Annual salary ranges provided by the confidential client (based on education level):

• Bachelor: $72,700 to $109,100 per year
• Master’s: $87,600 to $131,400 per year

Actual pay offered will depend on experience, education, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

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Location & Travel

• Primary work location: Rolling Meadows, IL (on-site / local manufacturing/test environment)
• Travel: Approximately 10% (to support manufacturing/test facilities as required)

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Other details

• Employment type: Full-time
• This role may require access to Special Access Programs and sustained eligibility for a Secret-level U.S. Government security clearance — U.S. citizenship is required.
• Careertakes is acting as a third-party recruiter for this opportunity; the confidential client is the hiring employer.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.