Principal Software Architect

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17 days ago Requisition

Salary Range: $ To $ Annually

Principal Software Architect – Ground Systems & Fleet Automation

Location: Moriarty, NM
Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports to: Director of Operations

Who Are We:

Sceye is a high-growth technology company, building the next generation of instant communications, imaging and remote sensing infrastructure through stratospheric platforms.

Our lighter-than-air high-altitude platform systems (LTA HAPS) are capable of maintaining position over an operational area in the stratosphere (altitudes of 18 – 21km). They can carry multiple telecommunications, imaging and remote sensing payloads, providing unique functionality, cost, environmental and societal advantages.

Our HAPS be deployed in a matter of days and at a fraction of the cost of traditional infrastructure solutions. This makes them an ideal solution for providing telecommunications connectivity, emergency solutions in the event of natural or other disasters, environmental and infrastructure monitoring, Earth observation and a range of defense applications.

Our customers & partners include some of the largest global telecommunications companies, infrastructure operators, climate researchers, civil and defense agencies.

At Sceye, we aim high, and we want you to join us at the stratospheric edge of innovation. As part of our mission-driven team, you’ll contribute to building breakthrough technologies that are changing the way we connect and observe the world. We are looking for individuals who bring not only deep expertise but also bold vision and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

About the Position:

Sceye is seeking a Principal Software Architect to design and lead the evolution of a modular, flexible, resilient, and secure ground software architecture that will grow with the company’s fleet management needs. This role is responsible for the "nervous system" of our operations, ensuring that as we scale to 24/7 global flight with multiple airborne platforms, our ground automation remains highly available and secure.

The Principal Software Architect will own the architectural vision for distributed systems spanning cloud, edge, and aircraft compute, bridging the gap between modern, fast-paced software development and rigorous aerospace safety cultures.

• Design the overall software architecture for ground automation and fleet management to ensure maximum resiliency and adaptability.
• Architect geographically replicated and distributed systems to support high availability and automated failover.
• Lead the integration with Higher Airspace Traffic Management (HATM) APIs for automated deconfliction and trajectory sharing.
• Develop a "Degraded Operations Mode" framework to ensure the system degrades gracefully during partial failures.
• Implement Zero-Trust security architectures and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to protect mission-critical assets.
• Create a robust service deployment backbone for navigation planners, risk estimation, and system health monitoring.
• Oversee modern CI/CD pipelines including automated testing, canarying, and automated roll-backs for live flight updates.
• Architect sensor fusion and state estimation frameworks to provide a single source of truth for automation systems.
• Ensure the infrastructure meets external automated monitoring requirements for HATM and other regulatory frameworks.
• Provide remote accessibility architecture allowing authorized personnel to securely manage the fleet from anywhere in the world.

What You’ll Do:

• Cultural Bridge:
  Capable of bridging the gap between fast-paced modern software development and traditional, rigorous aerospace safety cultures.
• Architectural Vision:
  Ability to design complex, geographically replicated systems for high availability and resiliency.
• Security Mindset:
  Deeply familiar with Zero-Trust architectures and modern cybersecurity practices.
• Analytical Mindset:
  Strong troubleshooting and analytical approach to distributed system failures.
• Collaborative:
  Comfortable working across multi-disciplinary teams including Engineering, Mission Operations, and Safety.
• Ownership:
  Willingness to take full ownership of the ground automation backbone and drive continuous improvements.

Required:

• Distributed Systems Expertise:
  Intimately familiar with architecting geographically replicated systems for high…