Ground Station Software Engineer

Cowboy Space Corp.

1d • $145,000 - $171,000

About The Position

Cowboy Space Corporation is developing infrastructure for space-based solar energy and the orbital economy. Its modular satellites are designed to collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit and support energy transmission, on-orbit computing, and optical data transport. The company is based in San Carlos, California, and was founded in 2024.

The Ground Station Software Engineer will own software forming the communications backbone between Earth and space. The role develops software in Python and Go to provide secure, highly reliable communications. The engineer will work across software and hardware systems, supporting design, testing, integration, deployment preparation, and on-orbit operations. The position also contributes to architecture decisions, helps manage technical tradeoffs for a near-term on-orbit demonstration, and mentors teammates.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of experience building production software systems.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python or Go.
• Experience working close to hardware, distributed systems, or real-time systems.
• Solid understanding of systems fundamentals, including operating systems, networking, and concurrency.
• Experience working in fast-paced, engineering-driven environments.
• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required U.S. Department of State authorizations, to meet ITAR export-control requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with real-time operating systems software, embedded systems, or robotics.
• Background in aerospace, autonomous systems, or high-reliability environments.
• Experience building simulation frameworks or hardware-in-the-loop testing systems.
• Familiarity with Linux-based systems and low-level debugging.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure or distributed systems for mission operations.
• Track record of owning systems end-to-end in high-ownership environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop distributed software systems for ground station network operations and core infrastructure services.
• Test and integrate software systems running on commercial and internally developed hardware.
• Build simulation and testing frameworks to validate system behavior before deployment.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to integrate, test, and debug systems end-to-end.
• Write performant, reliable code for resource-constrained and mission-critical environments.
• Develop internal tools for testing, automation, and operational workflows.
• Participate in system bring-up, integration, and launch preparation activities.
• Monitor and support on-orbit operations, including debugging and performance optimization.
• Contribute to system architecture decisions across software and hardware boundaries.
• Balance speed, reliability, and scalability in a fast-paced development environment.
• Investigate anomalies across hardware/software boundaries, perform root cause analysis, and drive fixes to closure.
• Mentor engineers and review designs and code to improve overall software quality.
• Help drive the team toward a near-term on-orbit demonstration, making pragmatic scope and risk tradeoffs.

Benefits

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance enrollment for employees and eligible dependents.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off.
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance if applicable.
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks.

What This Job Offers

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