Senior Flight Software Engineer

Varda Space•El Segundo, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Flight Software Engineer determines how Varda spacecraft behave and operate in orbit and develops reliable software to support those operations. The team is responsible for every phase of development, from requirements capture through testing and flight operational support. The role develops flight software for spacecraft, satellite buses, and reentry capsules, and involves building structured embedded software in C++ for bare-metal, RTOS, or Linux-based processors. The engineer owns software design, testing, and integration, scopes projects from open-ended problems, and ensures system quality and performance through software testing, verification, and validation. This is an on-site position in El Segundo, California. The salary range is $169,067–$216,031 per year. The role is eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards. Due to access to export-controlled items, Varda hires U.S. persons who are authorized to access its technology without an export license.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering, or equivalent technical experience in safety-critical software.
At least 5 years of experience developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical software.
C++ development experience and a strong understanding of the language's concepts.

Nice To Haves

End-to-end experience building and launching a spacecraft.
Experience developing and testing real-time embedded systems.
Experience with safety-critical software, especially for aerospace applications.
Experience with CCSDS telemetry and telecommand systems.
Experience with the F' or cFS framework.
Experience with Python or Rust.
Knowledge of basic analog and digital electronics.
Familiarity with SPI, I2C, CAN, or EtherCAT.

Responsibilities

Develop reliable flight software that determines how the spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout the mission.
Write quality, structured bare-metal, RTOS-based, or Linux-based software for embedded processors in C++.
Own all aspects of software development, including design, testing, and integration.
Scope projects, including requirements capture and initial design trades for open-ended problems.
Ensure system quality and performance through software testing, verification, and validation techniques.
Work collaboratively, communicate, and solve problems as part of a team.