Software Engineer

NewOrbit Space; Reading; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering aerospace company in England seeks a skilled software engineer to develop flight software for innovative air-breathing satellites. You'll design and implement real-time systems, ensuring software safety and autonomy. This role offers a competitive salary, equity options, and the opportunity to work on ground-breaking space technology.

Benefits

Equity in the company

Private health insurance

Comprehensive benefits package

Qualifications

• Experience building production embedded or real-time systems.
• Strong grasp of on-board computer architecture and buses.
• Experience with CI/CD processes.

Responsibilities

• Own the on-board flight-software stack and design code.
• Implement and tune control algorithms for spacecraft.
• Build prototypes and analyse telemetry.

Skills

Embedded systems in C/C++

Real-time systems

On-board computer architecture

CI/CD process

Data structures

Automated deployment

Model-based design

Spacecraft frameworks

Orbit-propagation

Rad-hard electronics

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 breathe air and operate at an altitude of just 200 km - one-third that of conventional satellites. Thanks to our proprietary propulsion system we can compensate for the atmospheric drag at ultra low altitudes using the air as propellant. Please note that as we prepare for our maiden satellite mission, we are in a critical growth phase. Our roles will often require extended hours and are not typical 9-to-6 positions. You'll architect and implement the flight-software stack-from low-level drivers to ADCS control loops-and push code from bench tests to on-orbit updates. You'll ensure each satellite runs autonomously and safely, turning in-orbit data into actionable ground insights so every subsystem meets its mission marks. You'll have a huge influence on the direction of the software and system development of our satellite.

Responsibilities

• Own the on-board flight-software stack - design, code and test real-time Rust/C/C++ on RTOS or Embedded Linux.
• Ship code from review to orbit - push through CI/CD, support launch, and deliver over-the-air updates during operations.
• Implement and tune our ADCS control algorithms - write and validate attitude-determination & control loops that keep the spacecraft stable while in ULEO.
• Build prototypes, simulations and analyse telemetry to prove out key design concepts and quantify system constraints.
• Build autonomous FDIR logic - detect and recover from SEUs, sensor drop-outs and thermal excursions without ground intervention.
• Design the command & telemetry pipeline - transform CCSDS frames in-orbit into MQTT topics and cloud dashboards on the ground.
• Develop internal automation & data-analysis tooling in Python for build, CI/CD, and anomaly triage.
• Trade across disciplines - work with AOCS, propulsion, avionics and mission-design teams to balance compute, power, thermal and link budgets.

Qualifications

• Experience building production embedded or real-time systems in C/C++ or Rust on RTOS or Embedded Linux.
• Solid grasp of on-board computer architecture, BSPs, watchdogs and high-speed buses (CAN-FD, SpaceWire, SPI, LVDS).
• Experience taking code through unit, integration & HIL tests and shipping via CI/CD (exposure to MISRA-C or ECSS a plus).
• Strong software-design fundamentals, including data structures, concurrency and debugging.
• Master version-control, static analysis, containerised build tooling and automated deployment.
• Are comfortable with model-based design (MATLAB/Simulink) and automated verification.
• Experience with spacecraft frameworks.
• Digital-twin, simulator or hardware-in-the-loop design experience.
• Orbit-propagation or high-fidelity atmospheric modelling experience.
• Uplink/downlink know-how.
• Familiarity with rad-hard electronics.

Benefits

• Pioneering Space Technology – You'll contribute to launching groundbreaking technology into space. Your work on our revolutionary air-breathing ion propulsion system will redefine satellite operations in ultra-low Earth orbits.
• 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.