Firmware Engineer II (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States. U.S. person status is required because the role provides access to export-controlled technology.

Salary: $144,020–$184,026 per year, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

Varda develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing payloads, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses, with vehicles and equipment built, integrated, and tested in-house.

What you will do

• Develop firmware controlling spacecraft, satellite buses, and reentry capsules throughout complete missions.
• Own software development from design and requirements capture through testing and integration.
• Scope projects and perform initial design trades for open-ended engineering problems.
• Write structured C++ software for bare-metal, RTOS, or Linux-based embedded processors.
• Build highly reliable and available software systems for flight operations.
• Perform software testing, verification, and validation to ensure system quality and performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering, or equivalent technical experience in safety-critical software.
• At least 3 years of experience developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical software.
• Experience developing and testing real-time embedded hardware and software systems.
• Strong C++ development experience and understanding of C++ language concepts.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States and qualify as a U.S. person under applicable export-control requirements.

Nice to have

• Experience with safety-critical software, particularly for aerospace applications.
• Experience with Python or Rust.
• Strong understanding of computer architecture, operating systems, data structures, and computer networking.

Culture & Benefits

• Regular full-time employees receive flexible PTO, 12 paid holidays, and company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Benefits include FSA and employer-matched HSA options, parental leave, wellness reimbursement, and sponsored medical memberships.
• Financial benefits include a 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match, incentive equity, cell phone reimbursement, and relocation support if needed.
• Workplace perks include daily lunch, dinner twice weekly, team events, complimentary EV charging, and mission-success celebrations.