Software Engineer - Ground Software

Intuitive Machines LLC • Houston, TX

69d

About The Position

We are seeking a Backend Software Engineer with potential for technical leadership to enhance our Nova Core ground system - the backbone of our Mission Control Center. In this role, you'll own and lead development of critical components of the Nova Core system, taking responsibility for architectural decisions, implementation, performance optimization, and team coordination. You'll have opportunities to grow into a technical leadership role while maintaining hands-on development work in our on-premises, high-performance backend systems. This is a 100% on-site position located at our Lunar Payload Operations Center (LPOC) facility in Houston, TX.

Requirements

• 4-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• 5+ years of experience in backend development, preferably with C# .NET and Python.
• Strong experience with on-premises system scaling and performance optimization.
• Experience with database architecture (SQL and NoSQL) for high-performance systems.
• Proficiency with containerization (Docker) in non-cloud environments.
• Experience with networking fundamentals and application optimization.
• Proven ability to lead technical implementation of complex systems.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate technical concepts to stakeholders.
• Passion for spaceflight and mission-critical systems.
• Ability to work in a low-process and dynamic environment.

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of real-time visualization systems.
• Background in mission-critical operations environments.
• Experience with air-gapped software deployments.
• Experience with event-driven architectures and Event Sourcing (ES) + CQRS patterns.
• Experience with backend-to-frontend integration patterns.
• Experience with WebSocket APIs and real-time data systems.

Responsibilities

• Architect, implement, and optimize core backend services with a focus on maintainability, reliability, and performance.
• Guide implementation decisions and mentor junior developers while coordinating with cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate with mission stakeholders to ensure services meet operational requirements and scale appropriately.
• Lead backend-to-frontend integration efforts, working with visualization teams.
• Direct system updates and enhancements in accordance with mission requirements.
• Support mission operations staff and test events.
• Make key architectural decisions for on-premises infrastructure scaling.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees