Founding Flight Software Engineer

🚀 Founding Flight Software Engineer

📍 United States (On-site)

💰 Salary: $180,000–$260,000 + Bonus + Equity

I'm partnering with a leading space technology company building next-generation autonomous spacecraft for national security and advanced orbital missions.

This is a rare opportunity to join as a Founding Flight Software Engineer , where you'll help build the flight software stack from the ground up. You'll own software across the full mission lifecycle from ground mission operations and telemetry systems to embedded flight software running onboard the vehicle .

As one of the first software engineers on the team, you'll have significant ownership, influence technical direction, and help take spacecraft from concept through launch and flight.

🚀 What You'll Be Doing

• Design and develop flight software for spacecraft and embedded flight computers
• Build ground mission operations software for mission planning, telemetry, commanding, and real-time monitoring
• Develop embedded software for sensors, actuators, and avionics
• Work closely with GNC, avionics, propulsion, and systems engineering teams
• Build software simulation environments, automated testing frameworks, and CI/CD pipelines
• Support Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), environmental testing, and flight campaigns
• Help establish software architecture, engineering standards, and development processes as part of the founding team

✅ What We're Looking For

• Direct space industry experience is required (satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, planetary systems, or similar)
• Strong experience developing flight software and embedded systems
• Experience with mission operations, telemetry, command & control, or ground software
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ (Python is a plus)
• Experience with embedded Linux, RTOS, or safety-critical software
• Familiarity with HIL/SIL testing, CI/CD, automated testing, and software validation
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving startup environment with high ownership

💰 Compensation

• Base Salary: $180,000–$260,000
• Performance Bonus
• Equity
• Comprehensive healthcare and retirement benefits

⚠️ Essential Requirements

U.S. Citizens or Green Card Holders ONLY (must be eligible to obtain a security clearance)

🚀 Space industry experience is mandatory

❌ Please do not apply if you do not meet these requirements.

If you're passionate about building flight software that will power the next generation of autonomous spacecraft and want to be part of a founding engineering team, I'd love to hear from you.

📩 Message me directly or apply today.