Senior Satellite Embedded Engineer

About the Role

Seeking a Senior Satellite Embedded Engineer to design, build, and deploy the software that flies on our operational spacecraft. This is a mission-critical, hardware-in-the-loop role focused on developing robust, fault-tolerant flight software that supports spacecraft command & telemetry, payload operations, autonomy, and on-orbit reliability.

You will work directly with real flight hardware
, writing software that runs in space — from low-level drivers through integrated spacecraft functionality. This role reports to the Firmware Systems Lead and works closely with systems, RF, payload, hardware, and mission operations teams to ensure flight readiness from integration through on-orbit operations.

• Design, implement, and maintain flight software in C supporting spacecraft command & telemetry, payload tasking, communications, and autonomous fault protection.
• Develop and integrate low-level drivers for processors, sensors, radios, and payload electronics across RTOS and embedded Linux environments.
• Own software behavior across the full mission lifecycle
  : bring-up, integration, test, launch, and on-orbit operations.
• Execute unit testing, integration testing, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) verification to ensure flight readiness.
• Support hardware bring-up and system integration
  , debugging complex interactions between software and flight hardware.
• Analyze on-orbit and ground test data to diagnose anomalies, validate performance, and drive software improvements.
• Build and maintain Python and C tools for ground support equipment, automated test workflows, and flight data analysis.
• Optimize flight software for Low-SWaP embedded environments
  , balancing performance, reliability, and resource constraints.
• Participate in design reviews, code reviews, and rapid iteration cycles in a fast-moving flight program.

• 5+ years of professional experience developing embedded or flight software
  , preferably for spacecraft, aerospace, or safety-critical systems.
• Strong proficiency in C; working knowledge of Python and Bash
  .
• Experience developing software for embedded Linux and/or RTOS-based systems
  .
• Hands-on experience with debugging software on real hardware
  .
• Familiarity with version control and collaborative development (Git).
• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with cross-disciplinary engineering teams.
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.

• Experience with spacecraft command & telemetry systems
  , mission operations, or satellite bus architectures.
• Familiarity with embedded communication interfaces (CAN, SPI, I²C, RS-422).
• Experience with bare-metal systems or Zephyr RTOS
  .
• Exposure to Yocto / Open Embedded for ARM-based Linux systems.
• Hands-on experience with Xilinx Zynq (Ultra Scale+ or 7000) or similar SoCs.
• Background in RF systems, SDRs, or payload-level signal processing
  .
• Comfort using lab equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, signal generators).

• Your code flies in space — this is not a simulation-only role.
• High ownership across the entire spacecraft software stack
  .
• Direct influence on mission success and constellation performance
  .
• Tight integration with payload, RF, and mission operations teams.
• A growing space company with real satellites on-orbit today.