Build Systems Engineer

Overview

We are seeking a Build Systems Engineer to own and evolve the software infrastructure that enables our engineering teams to develop, integrate, and deploy complex systems efficiently. This role will focus on build architecture, developer tooling, software systems design, and release infrastructure across a multi-disciplinary engineering environment.

The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in C/C software development, extensive experience with Linux-based development environments, and a passion for creating scalable build and integration workflows that improve engineering productivity and software quality.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain software build systems and developer infrastructure
• Own and improve build automation, dependency management, and release workflows
• Create scalable build architectures using tools such as CMake and Make
• Develop and support CI pipelines that enable rapid and reliable software integration
• Partner with software, robotics, and perception engineering teams to streamline development workflows
• Drive improvements in software reliability, maintainability, and system performance
• Establish standards and best practices for source control, builds, testing, and software delivery
• Troubleshoot complex build, integration, and deployment issues across multiple software components
• Contribute to overall software architecture and systems-level design decisions
• Support production software environments and long-term platform scalability

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Strong professional experience developing software in C or C
• Deep understanding of software systems architecture and engineering fundamentals
• Experience working within Linux development environments
• Hands-on experience with build systems such as CMake and Make
• Experience creating and maintaining automated build and integration workflows
• Strong understanding of software dependencies, compilation, linking, and release processes
• Ability to analyze and solve complex systems-level problems
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing internal developer tools and engineering infrastructure
• Experience supporting large, multi-team software environments
• Knowledge of CI/CD platforms and automated testing frameworks
• Familiarity with software deployment and release automation
• Experience working with hardware-adjacent software or real-time systems
• Exposure to robotics, autonomous systems, industrial automation, or embedded software environments

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an engineer who enjoys building the foundation that enables other engineers to move faster. Rather than focusing on cloud operations or infrastructure administration, this role is centered on software systems, build architecture, developer workflows, and scalable engineering processes. The successful candidate will help shape the underlying software platform that supports the next generation of our products.

***What Will Not Be a Fit***

This position is focused on software infrastructure, build systems, systems engineering, and developer productivity within a hardware-integrated environment. It is not a traditional cloud-focused DevOps role.

Candidates are unlikely to be a fit if their experience is primarily focused on:

• Cloud infrastructure administration (AWS, Azure, GCP) without significant C/C software development experience

• Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, or Infrastructure-as-Code engineering as the primary function of their role

• DevOps, SRE, or Platform Engineering positions supporting web applications and SaaS products exclusively

• CI/CD administration without ownership of software build systems, compiler toolchains, dependency management, or release engineering

• IT Operations, Systems Administration, or Network Engineering backgrounds without hands-on software engineering experience

• Infrastructure operations rather than software architecture, build systems, developer tooling, and engineering workflows

• Software environments with little or no interaction between software and physical hardware systems

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of San Francisco, CA.

The pay range for this position is $70.00 - $130.00/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)

This is a hybrid position in San Francisco,CA.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 7, 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.

Salary : $70 - $130