Senior Embedded Systems Engineer - Space Systems

Xplore Inc. • Bellevue, WA

15d • Onsite

About The Position

Build the Systems That Power Spacecraft
Xplore is a highly differentiated, venture-backed commercial space company. We design, build, and operate satellites and sensors that collect high-fidelity Earth observation data, enabling insights that support social, economic, environmental, and security outcomes across the globe.
Every image we collect contains trillions of spectral data points—revealing the physical and chemical state of Earth in ways conventional imaging cannot see. Our multi-sensor satellites combine remote sensing data, edge computing, and high-throughput communications to generate spatial insights for customers worldwide.
We are building the operational backbone of a scalable space infrastructure company.
In this role, you will design and own the embedded hardware and firmware that power Xplore’s spacecraft and payload systems—from early architecture and board bring-up through flight and constellation scale.

The Mission
We are hiring a Senior Embedded Systems Engineer - Space Systems to lead the design and development of the embedded hardware and firmware that power Xplore’s spacecraft and payload systems.
You will lead the design and development of flight-critical embedded hardware and firmware across the full lifecycle:
Embedded architecture and system design
PCB and hardware development
FPGA and firmware implementation
Board bring-up and hardware validation
System integration and environmental testing
You will improve current embedded architectures and build new ones that are technically rigorous, resilient, and scalable for spacecraft deployment.
You will take technical ownership of systems that move from design to flight and operate on real missions in orbit.
Your designs will move from lab bench to launch vehicle to orbit —powering spacecraft on real missions.

What You Will Build
Flight electronics for next-generation Earth observation spacecraft
High-performance embedded compute platforms for on-orbit data processing
FPGA-enabled sensor interfaces and high-speed data pipelines
Embedded avionics supporting spacecraft command, control, and payload management
Custom hardware systems supporting multi-sensor spacecraft architectures

Requirements

• U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident
• 3-5+ years of experience in embedded systems hardware development
• Strong PCB design experience, including schematic capture and layout (KiCAD preferred)
• Experience designing 4+ layer boards with mixed-signal or high-speed interfaces
• Experience with FPGA development using Xilinx toolchains
• Experience developing Linux device drivers in C
• Strong hardware debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers
• Experience with embedded power architectures and power supply design
• Familiarity with embedded Linux systems and cross-compilation environments
• Hands-on experience soldering SMD components (including fine-pitch ICs) and through-hole components
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of complex subsystems

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Xilinx SoCs (e.g., Zynq family)
• Deep familiarity with Vivado design flows and constraint management
• Experience with high-speed digital design (LVDS, Ethernet, USB)
• Experience working with embedded GPU platforms such as NVIDIA Jetson
• Experience building custom Linux images (Yocto, Buildroot, PetaLinux)
• Experience optimizing Docker containers for embedded deployment
• Familiarity with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and modern development workflows

Responsibilities

• Architect embedded hardware and firmware for spacecraft and payload subsystems
• Define system interfaces between sensors, compute systems, and spacecraft avionics
• Design scalable embedded platforms supporting multi-sensor spacecraft architectures
• Establish design standards for reliability, performance, and manufacturability
• Design multi-layer PCBs for spaceflight applications using KiCAD or equivalent EDA tools
• Perform schematic capture, component selection, and layout review
• Ensure designs meet signal integrity, thermal, and power requirements
• Implement design for manufacturability (DFM) and production readiness
• Lead bring-up of custom flight electronics and embedded subsystems
• Validate power sequencing, clocking, and high-speed interfaces
• Perform hands-on debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and lab instrumentation
• Conduct integration testing and support environmental qualification of flight hardware
• Develop FPGA-based solutions using Xilinx Vivado and related toolchains
• Implement RTL designs and achieve timing closure for high-performance systems
• Develop embedded Linux drivers and low-level firmware in C/C++ (Rust a plus)
• Optimize system performance across hardware and firmware boundaries
• Integrate embedded hardware with spacecraft flight software and payload systems
• Support payload integration and data interface development
• Build test harnesses and validation infrastructure for subsystem testing
• Collaborate with spacecraft, payload, and mission engineering teams to ensure flight readiness

Benefits

• comprehensive 100% company-funded medical, vision, and dental coverage, life and ADD insurance for you and your qualified dependents
• various other company perks such as free beverages and snacks, weekly team lunches, regular team outings, and special rewards
• equity incentive plan (ESOP) for qualified full-time employees
• HSA qualified health plan is available for full-time employees working 30 hours or more per week
• PTO at a rate of 1.33 days per month, and a minimum of 13 paid federal holidays are provided each year for full-time employees

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees