Chief Software Engineer, Space Ground Systems

Anduril • Colorado Springs, CO

1d

About The Position

Anduril is seeking a Chief Engineer to provide technical leadership for emerging space ground systems in Costa Mesa, Washington DC, and Colorado Springs. The role leads the design, development, testing, integration, and delivery of operational ground segments and high-impact ground command-and-control systems focused on Space Domain Awareness (SDA), space control, and dynamic space operations. The portfolio includes Lattice for Space Ground C2, mission planning and scheduling services, and modular backend platforms.

The Chief Engineer will develop technical strategy and roadmaps with the Director of Engineering for Ground Systems and Space Growth/Strategy leads, applying existing and new technologies to customer mission needs. The work spans pre-award demonstrations, early contract phases, proposals, and full contract execution. The role guides multidisciplinary teams and teammates in delivering backend services, operator workflows, mission data platforms, and integrated ground systems, using agile development and continuous integration/continuous deployment practices.

The position provides technical oversight across program execution, from proposals and system reviews through integration testing, security accreditation, classified deployment, and operational sustainment. In partnership with the Director of Engineering for Ground Systems, the Chief Engineer helps establish infrastructure, system requirements, performance criteria, and acceptance testing with vendors and government partners. The role also coordinates with the Anduril Space orbital team to support space-to-ground integration and end-to-end mission solutions.

The successful candidate will provide broad technical oversight across backend architecture, distributed systems, microservices, telemetry processing, command-and-control workflows, mission planning and scheduling, state replication, cybersecurity, cloud and on-premises orchestration, data engineering, operator experience, system integration, security accreditation, and operational deployment. The role requires production backend engineering expertise and the ability to deliver resilient systems in classified and air-gapped environments.

Requirements

• Demonstrated track record architecting, developing, and delivering defense or intelligence-community satellite C2 ground systems, with hands-on experience in distributed backend architecture, mission data processing, and TT&C integration.
• Deep expertise in SDA ground processing, space control C2 workflows, RPO mission planning, and dynamic space operations ground support.
• Technical familiarity with satellite C2 architectures, high-rate telemetry processing, mission planning and scheduling, and tasking or collection management across LEO, GEO, and cislunar orbital regimes.
• Strong understanding of the technical state, mission needs, and CONOPS of USSF and IC ground enterprise systems, including LGS, NOVA/SuperNOVA, EPOCH, and SDA ground infrastructure.
• Ability to decompose complex mission requirements and competing constraints, including throughput, latency, availability, modularity, cybersecurity/MLS, and air-gapped deployment, into executable engineering roadmaps.
• Experience with defense ground-system accreditation processes such as DISA STIGs, NIST RMF, ICD 503, and Cross Domain Solutions, as well as classified system deployment.
• Strong fundamentals in distributed backend systems, real-time data pipelines, state replication, mission-critical operator workflows, and rapid product development in air-gapped environments.
• Production backend development experience in Go, C++, Python, Rust, or Java.
• Proficiency with container orchestration such as Kubernetes or Docker, service communication such as gRPC or REST, and CI/CD.
• Ability to solve concurrency, distributed state management, and orchestration problems using portable engineering fundamentals rather than cloud-managed service abstractions.
• Experience architecting robust systems for air-gapped or classified deployment.
• Strong technical communication skills, including presenting critical briefings, architecture trade studies, and program milestones to executive leadership and government customers.
• Proven technical leadership on U.S. Government, DoD, or IC space ground contracts.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• TS/SCI security clearance is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and system-level expertise across ground C2 architecture, satellite TT&C systems, mission data processing pipelines, and operator workflow applications.
• Serve as the program's technical authority, maintain technical integrity, and monitor, control, and execute the engineering baseline in coordination with the Program Manager.
• Lead technical execution and architecture development for SDA ground processing, space control C2 systems, and dynamic RPO mission support.
• Guide ground segment and mission application engineering from early architecture trades through classified or air-gapped operational deployment and mission go-live.
• Use strategic partnerships and teammates to develop ground products for contested, denied, and multi-level secure mission environments.
• Provide ground systems expertise to refine Anduril Space Ground portfolio strategy for customer engagements and demonstrations.
• Contribute technical inputs and engineering execution plans to proposals, including cost estimates, technical risk assessments, and architectural trade studies.
• Mentor and provide technical oversight to multidisciplinary engineering teams through program execution, operational mission support, and sustainment.
• Conduct system-level trade studies to balance risk, cost, schedule, performance, scalability, security accreditation timelines, and operational availability.
• Develop technical strategy and roadmaps with Ground Systems Engineering and Space Growth/Strategy leads.
• Support establishment of ground-segment build, integration, and test infrastructure, including system requirements, performance criteria, and acceptance testing with vendors and government partners.
• Coordinate with the Anduril Space orbital team to enable space-to-ground integration and end-to-end mission solutions.

Benefits

• Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers.
• Top-tier benefits package, available at little to no cost to employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed