Flight Software Engineer IV

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

3d•$175,968 - $213,096•Onsite

About The Position

If you are passionate about spacecraft design, we invite you to join the Flight Software & Systems Engineering Section. We provide flight software and systems engineering for the design and implementation of spacecraft for the laboratory's key flight projects. We provide leadership and specialized expertise in developing flight software and systems engineering for spacecraft, small satellites, and instrument payloads. As a Flight Software Engineer IV, you will be working for JPL’s Flight Software and Systems Engineering Section, which provides leadership and specialized expertise in developing flight software and systems engineering for spacecraft, small satellites, and instrument payloads. As a key member of the Flight Software Architecture and Infrastructure Group, you will perform software engineering activities associated with the delivery of embedded flight software products for small scale projects developing CubeSats, small satellites and spacecraft payloads where the typical flight software team sizes are between one and five people. Mostly a software engineering assignment would involve the development of complex and mission critical embedded software for spacecraft, including software requirements definition, software design, code development, peer review, documentation, thorough unit testing, integration testing using simulations and avionics hardware, and defect resolution to JPL flight mission customers. As a Flight Software Engineer IV, you would typically work independently with minimal guidance or lead a small team of software developers in planning a task, establishing requirements, preparing and presenting design solutions, managing resources, conducting reviews, reporting to upper management and mentoring fewer senior engineers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, or related discipline with a minimum of 9 years of related work experience; a Master’s degree in similar disciplines with a minimum of 7 years of related work experience; or a PhD in similar disciplines with a minimum of 5 years of related work experience.
Extensive understanding and wide application of advanced principles, theories, concepts and hands-on programming techniques in: Architecting, developing, modifying, debugging, releasing and maintaining complex real-time embedded software systems for mission-critical, aerospace applications.
Developing application programs for the various functional domains (e.g., CDH, GNC, System Fault Protection, etc.) for execution in an embedded flight processor.
Device driver development and software/hardware interfaces for both custom and commercial hardware, with experience debugging software/hardware interactions and possible failure modes.
Distributed computing and inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms.
Deep familiarity with communication buses and protocols: PCI/PCIe, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN bus, and SpaceWire.
Real-time or embedded operating systems such as FreeRTOS, RTEMS, Zephyr, or WindRiver VxWorks
AI tools and processes for software development
Proven team leadership ability in the development and delivery of reliable, embedded real-time software applications that employs formal and structured lifecycle development process.
An extensive background in software development and testing with specific experience in the following languages and operating systems: C++, C, Python, Linux, WindRiver VxWorks.
Ability to guide in-development hardware towards efficient specifications for software interfaces.
Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with ability to work in a team environment.

Nice To Haves

Advanced knowledge of Laboratory policies and procedures, NASA policies and procedures, and government regulations across a range of applications.
Extensive experience developing, deploying and maintaining software product lines.
Hands-on knowledge with software development processes, standards, and practices.
System engineering experience in generating, tracking and proving successful implementation of requirements.
Deep understanding of NASA F Prime or cFS open-source frameworks
Background in dynamics and control systems.
Proposal writing skills.
Experience with software development for space missions in an environment like JPL.

Responsibilities

Perform software engineering activities associated with the delivery of embedded flight software products for small scale projects developing CubeSats, small satellites and spacecraft payloads.
Development of complex and mission critical embedded software for spacecraft, including software requirements definition, software design, code development, peer review, documentation, thorough unit testing, integration testing using simulations and avionics hardware, and defect resolution to JPL flight mission customers.
Work independently with minimal guidance or lead a small team of software developers in planning a task, establishing requirements, preparing and presenting design solutions, managing resources, conducting reviews, reporting to upper management and mentoring fewer senior engineers.