Embedded Software Engineer (Spacecraft)

Location: On-site in San Carlos, California, United States

Salary: $130,000–$185,000 annually

Company

Develops modular, scalable satellite infrastructure for space-based solar energy, on-orbit computing, and secure optical data transport.

What you will do

• Own embedded software for spacecraft power distribution, thermal control, sensors, actuators, and avionics subsystems from concept through on-orbit operations.
• Design, develop, and debug real-time software for microcontroller-based boards in FreeRTOS and bare-metal environments.
• Implement low-level drivers, peripheral interfaces, control loops, command and telemetry infrastructure, and firmware update mechanisms.
• Perform board bring-up, hardware/software integration, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and automated embedded-system validation.
• Investigate anomalies, perform root-cause analysis, and implement fixes across hardware and firmware boundaries.
• Collaborate with electrical, avionics, and software teams on system architecture, interfaces, and fault detection, isolation, and recovery strategies.

Requirements

• 3+ years of embedded software or firmware development experience, or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong C/C++ programming skills for embedded systems and experience with microcontrollers, RTOS-based systems, and/or bare-metal environments.
• Experience reading schematics, understanding pinouts, and using JTAG, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.
• Experience with hardware/software integration, board bring-up, and independent ownership of a subsystem.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Must meet U.S. ITAR eligibility requirements, including U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residence, protected-individual status, or eligibility to obtain the required authorizations.

Nice to have

• Embedded software experience in aerospace, automotive, robotics, or other high-reliability systems.
• Experience with SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, embedded networking stacks, bootloaders, and remote firmware updates.
• Knowledge of fault-tolerant design, redundancy, HITL testing, and radiation-tolerant space-system design.
• Python or scripting experience for test automation; Rust experience for embedded development.

Culture & Benefits

• High-ownership role within a small embedded engineering team.
• Equity in hirify.global.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents.
• 401(k), paid time off, 10 paid holidays, and paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance may be available, with daily office lunch and stocked kitchen.