Head of Software Engineering

Overview

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure, and actionable? Then you’ve come to the right place! At E-Space, we’re focused on bridging Earth and space with the world’s most sustainable low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. We’re a team of bold thinkers, ambitious leaders and dynamic doers—and we’re disrupting New Space by fundamentally changing the design of legacy LEO space systems to deliver entirely new satellite capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

We’re intentional, we’re unapologetically curious and we’re 100% committed—to saving space, to protecting our planet and to turning connectivity into actionable intelligence.

This is a full time, exempt position, based out of our Saratoga office. The target base pay for this position is $100,000 - $185,000 annually. The total compensation packaged will be determined by various factors such as your relevant job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. E-Space is not currently able to provide employment sponsorship for candidates who do not hold work authorization for the location of this role.

Director or VP of Software Engineering: You will own the full software engineering organization for our space vehicle programs — from architecture and embedded systems to communications software and mission-critical delivery.

What you will be doing:

• Technical Leadership
  • Define and drive the software engineering vision, architecture, and roadmap across all space vehicle programs
  • Provide hands-on technical leadership in embedded systems, BSP development (bootloaders, device drivers, RTOS bring-up), and communications software
  • Oversee software design and implementation for spacecraft comms subsystems including Space Wire, MIL-STD-1553, CCSDS, and RF data link protocols
  • Own the software architecture for Command & Data Handling (C&DH) systems and mission-critical flight software
  • Champion software quality, reliability, and compliance with applicable standards (DO-178B/C, NASA-STD-8739.8, or equivalent)
  • Drive hardware/software co-design and integration with electrical, systems, and mechanical engineering teams
• People & Organizational Leadership
  • Build, grow, and retain a high-performing software engineering organization across multiple disciplines and experience levels
  • Hire, mentor, and develop engineering managers and senior/staff engineers into future technical leaders
  • Foster a culture of engineering excellence, psychological safety, and continuous improvement
  • Define career development frameworks, leveling guidelines, and performance standards for the software engineering team
  • Partner cross-functionally with Program Management, Systems Engineering, and Operations to deliver on commitments
• Strategy & Execution
  • Own software program execution — schedules, milestones, risk identification, and mitigation across all active programs
  • Represent software engineering in customer briefings, program reviews, and executive leadership meetings
  • Contribute to business development and proposal efforts — defining software technical approaches and resource estimates for new pursuits
  • Drive make/buy decisions, toolchain investments, and software development process improvements at scale
  • Build and maintain technology partnerships with key vendors, tool suppliers, and industry partners

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, with 5+ years in engineering leadership (managing managers or leading organizations of 15+ engineers)
• Deep technical foundation in embedded systems and BSP development — bootloaders, device drivers, kernel bring-up, embedded Linux and/or RTOS (VxWorks, RTEMS, FreeRTOS)
• Proven experience leading software development for space, defense, or other safety-critical platforms
• Strong background in communications software — protocol stacks, data link layers, or spacecraft comms subsystems
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale engineering teams in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment
• Track record of delivering complex, multi-million-dollar software programs on time and on budget
• Excellent executive communication skills — able to present to customers, boards, and government stakeholders
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer…