Senior Embedded Flight Software Engineer, Spacecraft

Job Title: Senior Embedded Flight Software Engineer, Spacecraft

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Industry: Aerospace

Employment Type: Full-time/Direct

Compensation: $150k-$200k base salary

Schedule: day time

We are seeking a Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer to join our flight program team. This is a full‑time, in office role for an experienced professional with a proven track record of hands‑on work across spacecraft flight software (FSW). In this role, you will design and implement the software architecture that controls everything from core telemetry and bus communications to complex boot behaviours and memory management.

You will bridge the gap between high‑level logic and low‑level hardware, ensuring our spacecraft operates with industry‑leading reliability in the harsh environment of space.

• Supportive, team‑driven culture that values collaboration, transparency, and accountability
• Opportunity to grow your career with a global workforce solutions leader serving multiple industries
• People‑first environment that encourages employees to bring their authentic selves to work
• Strong focus on partnership, innovation, and delivering meaningful results for clients and candidates

This role offers the chance to join a company that prioritizes both people and performance-where your contributions directly impact client success while giving you room to grow and develop professionally.

Acara is a premier recruiting and workforce solutions provider-we help companies compete for talent. With a legacy of experience in various industries worldwide, we partner with clients, listen to their needs, and customize visionary talent solutions that drive desired business outcomes. We leverage decades of experience to deliver contingent staffing, direct placement, executive search, and workforce services worldwide.

• Build and maintain spacecraft FSW architecture.
• Implement new software components and communication protocols to support mission‑specific payload requirements.
• Ensure the smooth operation of core system tasks, including telemetry collection, precise time‑stamping, rate group scheduling, and robust bus communications.
• Develop drivers and logic for interfacing with FPGAs and GPIOs to control spacecraft hardware.
• Design and manage memory storage solutions, making critical design decisions regarding volatile vs non‑volatile memory to ensure data integrity.
• Develop and implement critical boot behaviours, partition swapping logic, and fail‑safe recovery modes.
• Manage the codebase using Gitlab, including the development and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and development.
• Execute comprehensive test campaigns on flatsat testbeds and flight units to verify software performance under flight‑like conditions.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to integrate subsystems with the spacecraft main compute element.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Document design processes, test results, and system performance.
• Provide technical guidance on FSW architectures to fellow engineers, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

• Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or Engineering
• Minimum 5 years of embedded flight software experience for spacecraft development programs
• Must possess or be willing and able to obtain DoD Top Secret Clearance

• Proficiency in Python, C/C++, and embedded Linux.
• Strong proficiency with Gitlab and CI/CD workflows.
• Strong ability to collaborate effectively in a dynamic environment while maintaining a positive and professional attitude.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills…