Controls Software Engineer, Pointing & Tracking

Cowboy Space Corp. • San Carlos, CA

7d • $170,000 - $192,000 • Onsite

About The Position

As a Controls Software Engineer on the Pointing & Tracking team, you will own the software control loop that keeps a laser precisely pointed between two moving platforms, both satellite-to-ground and satellite-to-satellite. You will use closed-loop feedback from onboard sensors to drive fine-pointing actuators in an embedded real-time environment. This is control-systems software, not general application development: the core of the job is translating control theory into a robust, working real-time implementation and taking dedicated ownership of a system that is central to our mission.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience (or equivalent practical experience) in control systems, GNC, robotics, or embedded software development
• Hands-on experience designing, implementing, and tuning closed-loop control systems
• Strong understanding of control theory fundamentals
• Strong programming skills in a systems language (e.g., Rust, C, or C++) with willingness to work in Rust
• Experience implementing control algorithms in a real-time or embedded context
• Experience integrating software with sensors and actuators, including debugging across the hardware/software boundary

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field
• Experience with precision pointing, tracking, stabilization, or gimbal control systems (e.g., optical terminals, telescopes, seekers, camera stabilization, or similar)
• Experience with spacecraft GNC, attitude control, or other high-reliability control applications in aerospace, defense, or robotics
• Professional experience writing Rust
• Experience with control system modeling, simulation, and analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, Python-based tooling)
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and system validation
• Familiarity with estimation and sensor fusion techniques (e.g., Kalman filters)
• Understanding of fault-tolerant design and high-reliability system architecture
• Experience working in fast-paced, high-ownership environments with rapid iteration cycles

Responsibilities

• Own the pointing and tracking control loop from design through on-orbit operations
• Design, implement, and tune closed-loop controllers that keep optical links precisely pointed between moving platforms
• Translate control theory (e.g., state estimation, PID, state-space, optimal control methods) into real-time embedded software in Rust
• Perform stability analysis, closed-loop tuning, and performance characterization of control algorithms
• Build simulation and analysis tools to model, validate, and iterate on control system behavior
• Support hardware integration and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of the full sensing-to-actuation chain
• Develop automated test frameworks to validate control performance across operating conditions
• Collaborate with GNC, optics, avionics, and firmware teams to define interfaces and system-level pointing architecture
• Investigate on-orbit and test anomalies, perform root cause analysis, and drive fixes across software and hardware boundaries
• Develop fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) strategies

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance
• Daily lunch in the office
• Fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level