FLIGHT SOFTWARE SYSTEMS ENGINEER
About The Position
The NASA Software Engineering Services III (SES-III) contract provides engineering expertise supporting the development, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment of NASA flight software systems. MVS is seeking a Flight Software Systems Engineer (Chief) to provide end-to-end flight software systems engineering leadership supporting the Advanced Limb Infrared Chemistry Experiment (ALICE) instrument for NASA's Stratosphere-Troposphere Research via Innovative Viewing Experiments (STRIVE) mission at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. STRIVE is NASA's next-generation Earth Science mission designed to improve understanding of atmospheric processes, including stratosphere-troposphere interactions and their impact on ozone, weather, climate, and air quality. The ALICE instrument provides advanced infrared limb observations of atmospheric temperature, ozone, trace gases, aerosols, and clouds with unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity. The Flight Software Systems Engineer serves as the technical authority responsible for the complete software systems engineering lifecycle supporting the ALICE instrument. This position provides leadership from mission formulation through mission operations, including conceptual design, software requirements engineering, architecture development, interface definition, implementation oversight, integration, verification and validation, launch preparation, and on-orbit sustainment. The successful candidate will collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams while remaining technically engaged in software architecture, embedded flight software development, and system integration activities.
Requirements
- Experience leading software systems engineering across concept development, requirements, architecture, implementation, integration, verification, validation, deployment, and maintenance.
- Experience developing software architectures, program specifications, interface definitions, and verification strategies.
- Experience developing embedded flight software using C/C++, Python, Java, FORTRAN, or similar languages.
- Experience analyzing, designing, programming, testing, debugging, and maintaining secure mission-critical software.
- Experience translating mission and system requirements into detailed software designs and implementation plans.
- Experience integrating flight software with spacecraft avionics, scientific instruments, and ground systems.
- Experience using Git, GitLab, or equivalent configuration management systems.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and technical writing skills.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible to obtain the required National Agency Check (NAC) clearance.
Nice To Haves
- NASA Flight Software Systems Engineering experience.
- Earth Science mission experience.
- Instrument Flight Software development.
- Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML.
- DOORS, Jama, or equivalent requirements management tools.
- RTEMS, VxWorks, or embedded Linux.
- CCSDS protocols, SpaceWire, and spacecraft communication interfaces.
- CI/CD pipelines and automated software verification.
- Participation in SRR, PDR, CDR, SIR, TRR, FRR, ORR, and Launch Readiness Reviews.
- Launch and on-orbit mission operations support.
Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end Flight Software Systems Engineering activities throughout the complete mission lifecycle.
- Develop and maintain flight software concepts of operation, system architecture, software requirements, interface definitions, and technical baselines.
- Analyze mission, spacecraft, and instrument requirements and decompose them into detailed software system and subsystem requirements.
- Lead software architecture development, software allocation, interface design, and technical solution development supporting the ALICE instrument.
- Develop program specifications, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), Requirements Verification Matrices (RVMs), and software verification plans.
- Participate in software implementation activities including coding, integration, debugging, and technical oversight of embedded flight software developed primarily in C/C++.
- Develop and maintain system test procedures supporting unit, integration, system, environmental, and mission-level testing.
- Coordinate software development activities across systems engineering, flight software, hardware, avionics, instrument engineering, integration & test, cybersecurity, and mission operations teams.
- Lead software technical reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, and peer reviews.
- Identify technical risks, perform engineering trade studies, and develop mitigation strategies.
- Support observatory integration, environmental testing, launch preparation, early orbit operations, and mission sustainment.
- Mentor software and systems engineers while serving as a Chief Technologist or Core Group Lead.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, parental leave, paid time off, holidays and more.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
