Staff Embedded Software Engineer

Observable Space • Los Angeles, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Observable Space builds the end-to-end hardware and software infrastructure needed to operate in space. From advanced ground stations, on orbit sensor suites, to distributed compute platforms, we deliver the foundational systems enabling continuous, real-time observation of the cosmos.
We combine precision opto-mechanical hardware, embedded computing, cloud orchestration, and developer-friendly APIs into world class products that serve commercial operators, scientific institutions, government agencies, and astronomy enthusiasts alike.
Observable Space is backed by top-tier institutional investors including Upfront Ventures, Oceans Ventures, Venrex, Marlinspike Partners, and Embedded Ventures.
We are expanding our embedded engineering team and seeking a Staff Embedded Software Engineer who can help architect, implement, and scale the systems powering our next-generation ground and space telescopes.
As an Embedded Software Engineer, you will work across our full product line—from robotic ground telescopes to on-orbit compute platforms. You will design and maintain embedded Linux systems, bring up complex peripherals, build rock-solid drivers, and architect software that will run for decades in remote and harsh environments.
This role is deeply hands-on: you will read schematics, work shoulder-to-shoulder with electrical and mechanical teams, debug unusual edge cases, and own Yocto-based platforms down to the metal. You will report to the Embedded Engineering Lead.

Requirements

• 5+ years in embedded software engineering or systems-level development.
• Strong proficiency in C and modern C++—and good judgment about when not to overuse templates.
• Solid understanding of DC power systems, motor drivers, and common hardware interfaces (I2C, SPI, CAN, Ethernet, MIPI, PCIe).
• Experience bringing up high-speed interfaces, especially PCIe and MIPI CSI-2 (D-PHY 1.4+).
• Deep familiarity with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, multimeters, and power debugging tools.
• Ability to read and interpret schematics, understand board-level considerations, and debug at the electrical–software boundary.
• Strong debugging intuition—and the humility to know that debugging is 90% of the job.
• Experience in fast-paced prototyping environments and a bias toward quick iteration.
• Strong product sense: you prioritize manufacturing reliability, robustness, and long-term serviceability.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Zephyr RTOS, embedded networking stacks, or sensor fusion.
• Experience with Qualcomm SoCs and their BSP/driver ecosystems.
• Experience with 3 phase motor drivers and tuning parameters park/clark vector control.
• Background in vision processing, image pipelines, or camera-focused algorithms.
• Contributions to open-source embedded or Linux kernel projects.
• Passion for astronomy, physics, and scientific exploration.

Responsibilities

• Architect, implement, and document embedded Linux systems composed of multiple daemons, services, and hardware interfaces—designed for extreme reliability in remote and space environments.
• Own the BSP and driver stack across PCIe, SPI, I2C, UART, MIPI CSI-2, GPIO, and other hardware interfaces.
• Bring up high-speed peripherals (PCIe endpoints, MIPI cameras, high-bandwidth data links) and ensure their long-term robustness.
• Maintain build system health: keep Yocto builds unblocked, reproducible, and hardened through strict CI/CD testing gates.
• Design for resilience: create systems that can run autonomously for years with minimal human intervention.
• Collaborate on automated testing: help the test team build lab infrastructure that enables frictionless writing and execution of hardware-in-the-loop tests.
• Participate in product design reviews to ensure manufacturability, serviceability, and field reliability.

Benefits

• The opportunity to work on cutting-edge hardware and software that will operate on Earth and beyond.
• A collaborative, engineering-driven culture that values curiosity, precision, and continuous learning.
• Meaningful ownership over systems that directly shape the future of space operations.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed