Associate Flight Software Test & Tools Engineer

Terran Orbital•Irvine, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond! Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Associate Flight Software Test & Tools Engineer to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the Manager, Flight Software Engineering , the Associate FSW Test & Tools Engineer will support our dynamic Flight Software Engineering team. This role is ideal for early‑career engineers who want to build a strong foundation in software testing, embedded systems tooling, automation frameworks, and flight software validation workflows. Engineers in this role focus primarily on test execution, test development support, build tools, and automation infrastructure rather than day‑to‑day feature coding. This position is designed as a technical support and growth role within the broader Flight Software organization. You will contribute directly to delivering high‑quality, reliable flight software for innovative satellite missions.

Requirements

B.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
0+ years of experience (internships, academic projects, or personal projects are welcome)
Interest in testing C/C++ applications for embedded, high‑performance, or safety‑critical systems
Highly motivated, responsible, and eager to learn in a fast‑paced engineering environment
Strong written and verbal communication skills
U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance

Nice To Haves

Experience with Linux and GNU tools (make, gcc, gdb)
Familiarity with virtualization/container tools (VirtualBox, VMWare, Docker, Hyper‑V, or Vagrant)
Exposure to C++ build systems such as CMake or Makefiles
Basic experience with vulnerability or static analysis tools (cppcheck, dependency-track, CodeQL, JFrog, etc.)
Experience building software for embedded processors or microcontrollers
Experience with scripting languages such as Bash or Python
Experience collaborating on team‑based software projects (school, internships, open source, etc.)

Responsibilities

Support creation and execution of test plans for thorough, consistent, and independent evaluation of flight software
Assist in integrating and testing software in simulation, flight‑replica, flight‑vehicle, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments
Help develop automated flashing, deployment, and testing workflows for physical devices
Contribute to documenting testing procedures, results, and repeatable workflows
Create and track bug reports and release tickets in coordination with the development team
Support the development of software verification artifacts and compliance documentation
Collaborate closely with software, firmware, and FPGA engineers and coordinate release activities with Configuration Management
Assist in tracking performance metrics to support continuous improvement in test efficiency and reliability
Learn and support installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of embedded and non‑embedded toolchains from various vendors
Participate in automation of testing processes and iterative improvement of test frameworks
Help maintain and enhance software build pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, CI/CD systems)
Incorporate DevSecOps principles into build and test systems to reduce software risk