Software Engineer – Mission Control

PAVE Space SA.; Villeneuve (VD); Remote; CHF 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

PAVE Space SA. is building mission control software to command hardware, monitor telemetry, and analyze data for spacecraft tests and operations. You will own the full stack, from frontend interfaces to backend data flows, working closely with avionics and GNC teams.

You will implement communication interfaces, support hardware-in-the-loop verification, and evolve tools toward orbit operations. Fluency in English and a hands-on, end-to-end delivery mindset are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience shipping and maintaining full-stack software used by real users.
• Ability to translate complex system behaviour into clear interfaces and visualisations.
• Proficiency in frontend and backend integration, APIs, databases, and live data streams.

Responsibilities

• Own the mission control software across frontend and backend.
• Implement command encoding and telemetry decoding in collaboration with avionics engineers.
• Develop telemetry storage, dashboards, historical analysis, and replay capabilities.
• Support flatsat integration, hardware-in-the-loop verification, and GNC testing.
• Evolve platform towards mission operations, including scheduling and ground-station interfaces.

Skills

Frontend development

Backend development

Automation & testing

AI tool usage

English communication

System architecture ownership

Tools

Grafana

Time-series databases

3D visualization

Job description

Build the screens the whole company will watch when our spacecraft flies.

PAVE Space is building LYOBA, a heavy kick stage moving up to 4-ton payloads from LEO to high-energy orbits in under 24 hours.

Why now

Our first spacecraft is scheduled to fly in 2028. Before then, our engineers need reliable tools to command hardware, monitor telemetry, and investigate what happens during testing.

We have early visualisation tools and dashboards, but no integrated mission control software. Your first weeks will focus on tools used directly on the flatsat and in GNC testing. From there, you’ll build towards real spacecraft operations.

You will own

Build our mission control software across frontend and backend, making spacecraft commanding, monitoring, and analysis clear and reliable.

Implement command encoding and telemetry decoding with flight software engineers, using the interfaces and requirements defined by the avionics team.

Develop telemetry storage, dashboards, historical analysis, and replay capabilities for avionics, GNC, and mission operations.

Support flatsat integration, hardware-in-the-loop verification, and GNC air-bearing testing, using those sessions to improve the tools.

Develop ground-side workflows for spacecraft software reprogramming, progressing from flatsat use towards in-orbit updates.

Evolve the platform towards mission operations, including command scheduling, automated sequences, ground-station interfaces, and dependable deployment.

What we are looking for

Experience shipping and maintaining full-stack software used by real users.

Strong frontend skills, with an ability to make complex system behaviour understandable through interfaces and data visualisation.

Backend experience covering APIs, databases, and live data streams.

An ability to implement communication interfaces from specifications and investigate problems across software boundaries.

Experience building automated tests and reliable deployment workflows.

Effective use of AI development tools, with ownership of the architecture, generated code, and verification.

Fluent English and the ability to work directly with engineers and operators to understand their needs.

Nice to have: mission control or satellite operations experience, telemetry systems, time-series databases, Grafana, interactive 3D visualisation, and software supporting hardware integration or test benches.

You will fit if

You want to own a working product, from its backend to the screen someone uses to understand an anomaly.

You care about whether data is current, commands are unambiguous, and an operator can find the information they need.

You’re willing to sit beside an engineer during a hardware test, see where your tool gets in the way, and improve it.

You can choose a practical technical stack and explain what should be built internally versus integrated.

This is a full-time role, fully on-site in Villeneuve, VD, Switzerland, reporting to the Avionics Lead. You’ll initially be the dedicated engineer for this software. The platform, interfaces, and user needs will evolve as we integrate the spacecraft.

What makes that worth it: your tools will support hardware testing now and our first spacecraft mission in 2028. You’ll be in the room as the software you built helps the team understand and command a spacecraft in orbit and you’ll shape the platform for the missions that follow.