Software Engineer, Reliability; Avionics​/Compute Systems

Software Engineer, Reliability (Avionics / Compute Systems)

About Cowboy Space Corp:

Mission
Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Background
Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.

Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.

Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.

This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation ’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

About the Role
:

As a Software Engineer, Reliability, you will ensure the software powering our avionics and high-performance compute systems operates flawlessly in orbit. You will own reliability from concept through flight, building automated validation frameworks and testing compute platforms under mission-representative conditions. This hands‑on role requires bridging hardware and software to optimize fault tolerance and performance. You’ll be expected to move quickly, resolve complex anomalies, and take ownership of the system stability that directly impacts mission success.

Responsibilities:

• Own software reliability for avionics and compute systems across the full lifecycle—from concept, design, radiation hardening, and integration to launch and on‑orbit operations
• Design, develop, and maintain automated test and validation frameworks for embedded and high‑performance compute systems
• Develop software to validate performance, stability, and fault tolerance of CPUs, GPUs, and custom accelerators under mission‑representative conditions
• Execute system‑level testing including hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL), environmental, and stress testing to identify failure modes
• Characterize system performance (latency, throughput, resource utilization) and drive optimization across hardware/software boundaries
• Investigate and resolve anomalies through deep root cause analysis, using data‑driven approaches to improve system reliability
• Define reliability metrics, test plans, and acceptance criteria for flight‑critical systems
• Work closely with electrical, avionics, and software teams to ensure robust integration of compute platforms into spacecraft systems
• Build internal tools to support rapid debugging, telemetry analysis, and system observability
• Support vehicle and payload bring‑up, integration, and pre‑flight validation efforts
• Support and participate in radiation testing campaigns of avionics and compute parts

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s…