Lead Flight Software Engineer

NewOrbit Space; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity option

Hybrid work

Visa sponsorship

Job summary

NewOrbit Space is engineering the next generation of space-based connectivity, with satellites designed to operate at very low Earth orbit. We seek a lead for the on-board flight software who can drive real-time C/C++/Rust on RTOS or Embedded Linux, and guide end-to-end development from simulation to on-orbit operations.

You will build robust, fault-tolerant software with strong observability and OTA update capabilities, while collaborating across avionics, AOCS, and mission teams.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in development of flight software for spacecraft.
• Proven experience in building production embedded or real-time systems in C/C++ and/or Rust on RTOS or Embedded Linux for space systems.
• Strong grasp of real-time software: scheduling, interrupts, concurrency primitives, determinism.
• Proven ability to build reliable, testable systems: unit/integration testing, simulation-first development, HIL validation.
• Hands-on experience integrating with hardware via common interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, etc.).
• Solid software engineering fundamentals: architecture, code review, CI/CD, observability/logging.
• Ability to own systems end-to-end from requirements to operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the flight software engineering team - recruit, coach, and direct engineers to deliver the flight software for a novel spacecraft to operate in VLEO.
• Own the on-board flight-software stack - design, implement and test real-time C/C++ on RTOS or Embedded Linux.
• Integrate subsystems end-to-end - define ICDs and build drivers/middleware over I2C/SPI/UART/CAN(-FD)/SpaceWire.
• Build spacecraft behaviors & autonomy - implement mode management, sequencing, and autonomous FDIR.
• Deliver reliable real-time performance - manage concurrency, timing, CPU/memory budgets, and observability.
• Build verification infrastructure - prototypes, SIL/HIL test harnesses, simulations, telemetry tooling.
• Ship code from review to orbit - CI/CD, support integration and launch ops, OTA updates.
• Work across disciplines - collaborate with avionics, AOCS, comms and mission teams to trade compute, power, etc.

Skills

Flight software leadership

C/C++

Rust

RTOS / Embedded Linux

Real-time systems

Subsystem integration

Tools

I2C

SPI

UART

CAN

SpaceWire

HIL/SIL test harness

Job description

At NewOrbit Space, our mission is to engineer the lowest orbiting satellites on Earth to rapidly advance global connectivity and insight.

We are currently building satellites that can operate at an altitude of just 200 km - one-third that of conventional satellites.

Role

• You’ll lead the team that owns the software that makes the spacecraft behave: real-time control flows, autonomy, mode management, FDIR, and the core flight applications that coordinate every subsystem.

• You’ll design and implement robust flight-software services on RTOS or Embedded Linux - turning mission requirements into deterministic, testable software - then take it from simulation all the way to launch and on-orbit operations.

• You’ll ensure our VLEO satellites stay safe and productive with strong fault tolerance, clean observability, and rapid iteration through over-the-air updates.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the flight software engineering team - recruit, coach, and direct the work of a team of software engineers to deliver the flight software elements of a novel spacecraft to operate in VLEO.

• Own the on-board flight-software stack - design, implement and test real-time C/C++ on RTOS or Embedded Linux

• Integrate subsystems end-to-end - define ICDs and build drivers/middleware over I2C/SPI/UART/CAN(-FD)/SpaceWire (as applicable).

• Build spacecraft behaviors & autonomy - implement mode management, sequencing, and autonomous FDIR for safe and productive operations.

• Deliver reliable real-time performance - manage concurrency, timing, CPU/memory budgets, and observability under tight constraints.

• Build verification infrastructure - prototypes, SIL/HIL test harnesses, simulations, and telemetry analysis tooling to validate designs early.

• Ship code from review to orbit - push through CI/CD, support integration and launch ops, and deliver secure over-the-air updates.

• Work across disciplines - collaborate with avionics, AOCS, comms and mission teams to trade compute, power, thermal, storage and link budgets.

Key Requirements

• 5+ years’ experience in development of flight software for spacecraft, including experience in leading engineers with flight software deliverables.

• Proven experience in building production embedded or real-time systems in C/C++ and/or Rust on RTOS or Embedded Linux for space systems.

• Strong grasp of real-time software: scheduling, interrupts, concurrency primitives, determinism, and designing for constrained CPU/memory.

• Proven ability to build reliable, testable systems: unit/integration testing, simulation-first development, HIL validation, and disciplined debugging.

• Hands-on experience integrating with hardware via common interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN(-FD), GPIO, etc.) and practical lab debugging.

• Solid software engineering fundamentals: architecture, code review, static analysis, CI/CD, configuration management, and observability/logging.

• Ability to own systems end-to-end: from requirements and design through implementation, verification, operations support, and iterative improvement.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with spacecraft flight software frameworks, (e.g., cFS, F´, or building lightweight component-based equivalents).

• Familiarity with autonomy and fault management patterns for radiation/SEUs, watchdog strategies, redundancy, and safe-mode design.

• GNC/AOCS-adjacent experience: sensor/actuator pipelines, control-loop integration, estimation/filters, timing analysis.

• Digital-twin / simulator / SIL-HIL experience for end-to-end behavior validation and regression testing.

• On-orbit operations know-how: commissioning flows, anomaly response, telemetry triage, and OTA update strategies.

Why NewOrbit Space?

• Pioneering Space Technology - You'll contribute to launching groundbreaking technology into space. Your work on our revolutionary ion propulsion system and ULEO satellite platform will redefine satellite operations and disrupt traditional LEO operations.

• Unmatched Ownership and Impact - You'll experience a level of ownership that's rare in the space industry. You will participate in the full lifecycle of satellite technology.

• Equity and Competitive Salary - You'll receive not just a competitive salary but also company ownership stakes. Your dedication and hard work are rewarded with a share in the technology you help build, ensuring you're a part of our collective success.

• Comprehensive Benefits Package -Including private health insurance with dental and optical coverage, annual healthcare check-ups etc.

• Hybrid Work - A hybrid setup with one dedicated remote day per week.

• Visa Sponsorship & Relocation Support - We provide a relocation package and sponsor your visa if you’re joining us from abroad.