Principal Software Engineer (Spacecraft)

TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer (Spacecraft): Create software architecture for real-time, fault tolerant control of 20kW+ spacecraft with an accent on propulsion, guidance/attitude control, thermal, power, and communications systems. Focus on designing state machines, robust tools for rapid deployment, data analysis, anomaly investigation, and integration/testing of subsystems.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (U.S. Person required per ITAR)

Salary: $200,000 - $240,000 + equity

Company

Building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown for missions from LEO to deep space, backed by $450M from leading investors.

What you will do

• Develop software architecture for real-time, fault-tolerant spacecraft control.
• Build applications for subsystems including propulsion, GNC, thermal, power, and comms.
• Design and implement state machines for robust operations.
• Create tools for rapid code deployment and perform data analysis/anomaly resolution.
• Support subsystem integration, testing, and infrastructure for reliable development/testing.

Requirements

• Bachelor's in CS, CE, EE, math, STEM or 10+ years software engineering experience
• Development in Rust, C/C++, Python, VHDL, SystemVerilog
• Experience with spacecraft flight software, Linux systems/driver development
• Hard real-time embedded systems (bare-metal/RTOS), CI/CD
• Basic electronics, computer architecture, control systems knowledge
• U.S. Person (citizen, permanent resident, or protected individual per ITAR)

Nice to have

• State machines, software verification/testing
• Performance analysis/debugging, Extended Kalman Filters
• Fault-tolerant design, test systems for HW/SW in-the-loop

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits: PTO, medical/dental/vision, life insurance, paid parental leave
• Fast-paced Series C startup environment with multiple launches planned through 2026-2027
• Team encourages cross-stack experience from GNC algorithms to HDL and test systems
• Equity in the company