Embedded Software Engineering @ L3 WESCAM
L3 WESCAM Burlington, ON
About L3 WESCAM
We are an exceptional company.
We develop the most advanced optical systems for global defense and military sectors, Homeland Security, Search and Rescue and Airborne law enforcement agencies worldwide. These systems provide stabilized, high-magnification Electro-optic and Infrared (EO/IR) laser, surveillance and targeting systems for airborne, marine and ground based platforms.
To see more about WESCAM, go to https://www.youtube.com/user/saleswescam or visit https://www.wescam.com/
Diversity & Inclusion
We believe that diversity among our employees makes us a stronger organization.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion within our L3 WESCAM family, and our community by welcoming and encouraging applications from anyone interested without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran’s status, Aboriginal status or any other legally-protected groups. For people with disabilities, we work with you throughout the recruitment process to ensure you have what you need in order to be at your best. If you require any accommodation for any part of the recruitment/interview process, or as you begin your career with us just let us know and we will take care of you.
About Joining Our Embedded Software Engineering Talent Community
We are constantly looking for phenomenal people to join our team – but we also understand that timing is everything.
You may not be ready to make a move, but you’re open to exploring your options. We’re planning on growing steadily over the next several years – so whether you’re looking now or later – we’ll probably have something interesting for you to consider at some point soon.
Joining our talent community for Embedded Software development means we’ll stay in touch, keep you informed on what we’re doing, what’s happening in our industry, and connect from time to time with some new positions we believe you’ll want to hear about.
Software at a Glance
We don’t make apps, we have no web development teams, and our idea of user-experience is a lot different than most other organizations.
For us, user experience could mean a Search and Rescue pilot finding an injured hiker in the mountains at night using our infrared optical systems. It could mean a military pilot performing classified surveillance on a hostile target from 25 kms away, while being able to read a license plate as if it were a meter away…
Our software teams work directly with our optics and hardware teams – developing code that manages all of our systems controllers and actuators, or telephoto lenses. We develop advanced real time software for various applications and processors, including new payloads like complex imagers, laser illuminators & targeting designators, range finders and trackers.
We develop the embedded controls and user interfaces for complex electro-mechanical systems including remote I/O subsystems, custom lens controllers, and advanced video processing features.
Domain Expertise We Look For
This depends on a lot of factors – but we’ll start with our tech-stack. It’s simple but effective.
Embedded C with C++ and Python on an Embedded Linux OS. We’ll get into more of the technology below, but we look for a variety of subject-matter expertise for our team - from understanding electrical engineering concepts and principles, and control system theory, to board bring up and practical experience with real time operating systems and multithreaded real time code.
We look for software engineers who know thread-safe low level driver development and hardware abstraction layer development. Communication protocols are a pretty big deal around here – whether it’s RS232, I2C, SPI – even Ethernet.
We’re always looking for people who can understand the design and operation of complex interrelated subsystems and complex electro optical assemblies, code refactoring, signal processing, and those who can just simply figure out how to make something work that is theoretically impossible like solving an in-field or in-service problem…
Your area of expertise is something we may need immediately, or later on down the road – but at some point in time, we’d definitely like a chance to get to know you a little better.
Skills, Experience and Competencies We Look For

While this list is in no particular order - you should be able to identify many of the following within your own inventory of “Things You’re Really Good At”

• Embedded C, C++, Embedded Linux
• Python
• ARM Cortex (M3/4, A8/9), PowerPC, dsPIC, Stellaris
• RS232/422, i2Cm SPI, CAN
• vxWorks, RTEMS or ThreadX
• Some understanding of the ISO 12207 software development standard.
• Knowledge of embedded communications standards such as I2C, SPI, CAN, Serial, Ethernet.
• If you have some experience with avionics communication standards such as 1553, Arinc-429 – that would be great
• Analysis and problem solving at a higher level

Also, the ability to play a musical instrument is also high on the list – we have 7 in-company bands and we’re always looking for a guitar lead or a drummer.
Life at L3 WESCAM
This is the most important part. Many companies say that their work is ‘exciting’ or ‘challenging’, or that they work in a “fast-paced environment”. Perhaps our definition of those terms is slightly different – because we are one of the only companies in the world that produce what we do, have customers like we do, allow our employees to work on the kinds of things we do, and say with certainty that what we do every day directly contributes to protecting lives around the world.

What else can you expect as an L3 WESCAM employee?

• Every other Friday off
• Free on-site gym
• Subsidized gourmet cafeterias
• Free fruit and bagels
• Beach Volleyball courts
• 26 acres of forested land with hiking and biking trails in the heart of Burlington
• Free wellness programs
• Work/Life balance that is taken seriously
• Real opportunities for growth, development and career progression
• Everyone’s role at L3 WESCAM contributes to protecting people’s lives

Click APPLY to join our Software Engineering Talent Community
By residing in our Software Engineering Talent Community, we’ll keep you up to date on what L3 WESCAM is working on from a software perspective, new developments in our business, and more information about the team and what it means to work here.
You’ll also be the first to hear about new positions coming up that we hope you might be interested in.
**As L3-WESCAM is a supplier to several national military and defense agencies, we are bound by the Canadian Controlled Goods Program. Every L3 employee must be CGP-Certified, of which certification requires extensive background screening that L3 Wescam will manage on your behalf.
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