Head of Software and Firmware

Cowboy Space Corp.•San Carlos, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure. We are looking for a Head of Software and Firmware to lead the architecture, development, and deployment of the full software stack that powers our space-based platforms—from low-level firmware and embedded systems to onboard compute, autonomy, and distributed data processing. This role owns the end-to-end strategy across firmware, embedded software, and higher-level onboard systems that enable energy transmission, real-time spacecraft control, and high-bandwidth data processing in orbit. You will define how software and firmware co-design tightly with custom hardware to operate in power-constrained, thermally dynamic, and radiation-exposed environments. You will work cross-functionally with hardware, spacecraft, GNC, RF, and mission teams to deliver robust, high-performance, and fault-tolerant systems. This is a critical leadership role with significant ownership over system architecture, team building, and execution across both software and firmware domains.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in software and/or firmware engineering, with deep focus on embedded, real-time, or high-performance systems
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
Proven experience designing and shipping complex software and/or firmware systems (e.g., embedded platforms, real-time systems, distributed compute systems)
Strong proficiency in low-level programming (C, C++, Rust, or similar) and experience working close to hardware
Experience with embedded systems, firmware development, and real-time operating systems (RTOS)
Solid understanding of system architecture, hardware/software co-design, and performance optimization
Experience leading technical projects or teams with increasing scope and ownership

Nice To Haves

Experience developing software and firmware for space, aerospace, or other high-reliability environments (e.g., automotive, defense, robotics)
Deep understanding of radiation effects (SEUs, latch-up) and mitigation strategies at the software and firmware level
Experience optimizing systems under strict SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) constraints, particularly in edge or embedded environments
Strong experience with board support packages (BSP), device drivers, bootloaders, and low-level hardware bring-up
Familiarity with high-speed interconnects (PCIe, Ethernet, SpaceWire, etc.), memory architectures, and data movement optimization
Experience building and tuning real-time, deterministic systems with strict latency and timing requirements
Proven ability to design and implement fault-tolerant, resilient systems for mission-critical applications
Experience with distributed or edge compute systems, including GPU/TPU acceleration or onboard AI/ML inference
Track record of scaling engineering teams in startup or high-growth environments, including hiring and organizational design
Demonstrated success delivering complex systems from early concept through production and deployment
Experience operating within rigorous validation and verification frameworks, including safety- or mission-critical standards
Strong cross-functional leadership experience working with hardware, systems, and mission engineering teams
Passion for space systems, energy infrastructure, and building novel compute platforms in orbit

Responsibilities

Define the technical vision and roadmap for onboard software and firmware across spacecraft platforms
Lead the design and development of embedded software, firmware, and real-time systems for space environments
Own end-to-end system architecture across firmware, BSPs, operating systems, middleware, and application layers
Build and lead a high-performing team of software and firmware engineers, setting technical direction, culture, and execution standards
Drive full lifecycle development from concept through architecture, implementation, validation, and in-orbit deployment
Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, GNC, RF, and spacecraft teams to ensure tight hardware/software/firmware integration
Oversee development of low-level firmware for processors, microcontrollers, FPGAs, and custom hardware interfaces
Design and implement real-time control systems, autonomy frameworks, and high-throughput data processing pipelines
Optimize systems for performance, latency, power efficiency, thermal constraints, and reliability in space environments
Establish robust testing and validation strategies, including SIL, HIL (hardware-in-the-loop), and mission simulation environments
Define tooling, infrastructure, CI/CD, and build systems for embedded software and firmware development
Lead system-level trade studies balancing compute performance, memory, bandwidth, latency, and resource constraints
Ensure reliability through fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) strategies across software and firmware layers
Represent software and firmware in architecture reviews, PDR/CDR, and executive-level discussions