Flight Software Engineer

Alexander Associates; Wytham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in the United Kingdom is searching for a Flight Software Engineer to develop embedded flight software for spacecraft systems. This role involves working with cutting-edge technologies that impact space missions. Candidates should hold a relevant degree and have substantial experience in embedded flight software development, programming in C, and working with ARM processors. Strong communication skills and teamwork are essential as you will collaborate with technical teams and customers.

Qualifications

• 4+ years’ experience in embedded flight software development.
• Experience with bare-metal C programming and ARM Cortex processors.
• Familiarity with RTOS or Embedded Linux.

Responsibilities

• Develop embedded flight software for spacecraft systems.
• Architect, plan and implement firmware/software solutions.
• Lead software tasks for HITL testing and support testing campaigns.

Skills

Embedded flight software development

Bare-metal C programming

ARM Cortex processors

RTOS or Embedded Linux

Low-level driver development

Hardware actuator/sensor integration

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Software, Aerospace Engineering or similar

Master’s degree

Job description

Flight Software Engineer

We are working with a client seeking to hire a Flight Software Engineer to support the development of embedded flight software and firmware for upcoming space missions. This role offers the opportunity to work on cutting‑edge in‑orbit technologies with real mission impact.

About the Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing, testing, and troubleshooting embedded flight software used in critical spacecraft systems. You will contribute across the full software lifecycle, from architecture and design through to implementation, integration, and mission support. The work will directly support in‑orbit operations and next‑generation space technologies.

What You'll Do

• Develop embedded flight software for spacecraft systems and mission technologies.
• Architect, plan, and implement firmware/software solutions for system communication and mission coordination.
• Verify software against systems and mission requirements.
• Provide flight‑software input into overall system design and technical reviews.
• Lead software tasks for Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop (HITL) testing and support wider test campaigns.
• Contribute to ad‑hoc internal tools for mission analysis and development testing.
• Produce detailed documentation for software architecture and functionality.
• Engage directly with government and commercial customers when required.
• Coordinate software‑related tasks with suppliers, partners, and subcontractors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Software, Aerospace Engineering, or similar, with 4+ years’ experience.
• Master’s degree with 3+ years’ experience.
• Proven experience in embedded flight software development.
• Bare‑metal C programming.
• ARM Cortex processors.
• RTOS or Embedded Linux.
• Low‑level driver development (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN, etc.).
• Hardware actuator/sensor integration and HITL development.
• Experience collaborating within multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.