Staff Flight Software Engineer

CesiumAstro • Westminster, CO

3d

About The Position

CesiumAstro is seeking a Staff Flight Software Engineer for its Internal Missions team to develop flight software and software-in-the-loop testing for communications satellites through all stages of development. The role involves developing software to monitor, test, and control spacecraft subsystems, including attitude, command and data handling, navigation, thermal, and power systems. The engineer will contribute to mission software ranging from Linux-based satellite operating systems to low-level embedded products, and will direct, mentor, and grow a team of spacecraft engineers.

The position works on a small team developing satellites and includes software design and architecture, requirements definition, implementation, code review, validation, and verification. The engineer will also identify practical ways to simulate complex problems and communicate key results and decisions to the team. Responsibilities span integrated mission systems such as satellites, ground stations, and mission operations centers, as well as post-production and in-orbit support.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, or Doctorate in Software or Computer Engineering from an accredited university or institution.
• At least 8 years of industry experience in spacecraft software development; a master's degree may count as two years of experience.
• Hands-on experience developing and troubleshooting software systems and hardware, such as motors and power distribution units.
• Experience with C, C++, Python, or other programming languages in an aerospace context.
• Strong understanding of space missions from conception through flight and disposal.
• Familiarity with spacecraft mission design, including events, pointing modes, maneuver planning, sequencing, and operations.
• Experience analyzing and recovering from spacecraft failures during post-CDR testing and on-orbit operations.
• Experience with design for reliability, spaceflight redundancy, and fault detection, identification, and recovery.
• Space software experience involving attitude dynamics, coordinate-frame transformations, vector mathematics, radiative heat transfer, spacecraft propulsion, space communication systems, and power systems.
• Experience with TCP/IP or UDP communication protocols for software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop lab development and spaceflight use.
• Experience integrating a variety of open-source software into an integrated system.
• Embedded software experience, particularly for space missions.
• Ability to implement physical first principles as scripts or spreadsheets.
• Experience with software release, revisioning, and configuration processes.
• Familiarity with configuration management tools, defect tracking tools, and peer review.
• Experience with trades and processes for handling radiation tolerance in software on automotive-grade parts.
• Familiarity with continuous integration, test, and delivery systems.
• Excellent understanding of multithreaded applications and resource management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• CubeSat and SmallSat experience, including LEO, MEO, GEO, and beyond.
• Hands-on experience with spacecraft instrumentation, subsystems, and test labs.
• Experience with JPL F’, NASA cFS, and other commercial space software frameworks.
• Experience with ground system software engineering for space missions.
• Experience in a team leadership role on a space software program.
• Experience in other non-space safety-critical software programs.
• Experience with network security.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement software to build and integrate mission systems, including satellites, ground stations, and mission operations centers.
• Design, develop, code, test, debug, and document system software.
• Review code and system designs.
• Analyze code for efficiency, stability, and scalability.
• Integrate and validate new product designs.
• Support software quality assurance and optimize I/O performance.
• Provide post-production and in-orbit customer support.
• Interface with hardware design and development engineers.
• Assess third-party and open-source software.
• Contribute to software architecture, requirements definition, implementation, code review, validation, and verification.
• Direct, mentor, and grow a team of spacecraft engineers.

Benefits

• Company stock options.
• Health, dental, and vision plans.
• Health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA).
• Life and disability plans.
• Retirement plans.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior