Director, Ground Software Engineering

True Anomaly•Long Beach, CA

1d•$210,000 - $360,000•Onsite

About The Position

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it. OUR MISSION: True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground. OUR VALUES: Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity. What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results. It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together. YOUR MISSION: As Director of Ground Software, you will own the full vision, strategy, and execution of Mosaic, the complete software platform for space superiority. Leading a talented team of engineers across frontend, backend, and QA, you will shape the architecture, culture, and roadmap of a product that sits at the heart of every mission we fly. This is a rare opportunity to lead at the intersection of deep technical craft and real-world space operations, building software that doesn't just ship, it launches.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
12+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5 years in leadership roles
Proven leadership of software teams of 15+ engineers across frontend, backend, and QA
Deep technical expertise in modern web technologies, particularly React and functional programming paradigms
Strong understanding of backend distributed systems, real-time data processing, and API design
Experience with product management, roadmap planning, and customer-facing product delivery
Experience delivering mission-critical software in aerospace, defense, or similarly regulated industries
Experience with satellite ground systems, command and control software, or mission operations systems
Strong product sense, able to balance technical excellence with customer and mission requirements
The ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
Direct experience with Elixir/Erlang and the BEAM ecosystem
Experience architecting real-time web applications with WebSockets or similar technologies
Direct experience with NIST 800 series, RMF, or equivalent security frameworks
Experience with satellite operations, telemetry processing, or spacecraft commanding systems
Familiarity with integrating AI/ML capabilities into operational systems
Track record scaling ground software products across multiple missions or customer deployments
Experience managing geographically distributed teams
Prior product management or product owner experience in technical domains

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of ground software development and product management for the Mosaic satellite control system, including frontend, backend, and quality assurance
Own product strategy, roadmap, and prioritization for Mosaic, balancing customer needs, technical capabilities, and business objectives
Set and own software architecture and technical vision for Mosaic, ensuring modularity, scalability, and system resilience across the React frontend and Elixir backend
Drive technical decisions around system design, API architecture, real-time data processing, and performance optimization
Drive customer engagement, requirements gathering, and feature definition in partnership with Sales and customer success teams
Build and manage a high-performing ground software team through strong leadership, mentorship, recruiting, and performance management
Own and evolve the software development lifecycle, including standards for CI/CD, validation, configuration control, and deployment
Partner cross-functionally with Hardware, Flight Software, Operations, and Sales teams to ensure integrated system delivery and customer success
Integrate AI/ML capabilities into ground operations where appropriate, working with data science and autonomy teams
Ensure compliance with relevant standards including RMF, NIST 800 series, and government/defense software requirements
Manage the Mosaic product roadmap and backlog, translating customer needs into actionable development plans
Oversee software budgeting, vendor relationships, and resourcing to support product growth