Flight Software Engineer

Astrion; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Astrion is seeking a Flight Software Engineer to support small satellite flight software development for AFRL at Kirtland AFB. Hybrid work model with remote U.S. eligibility, requiring DoD Secret clearance and strong C/C++ embedded software skills.

The role targets mid- to senior-level engineers with experience in spacecraft software, real-time systems, and hardware/software integration. Collaboration in small agile teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
• Minimum 5+ years of professional software development experience.
• Experience developing embedded or flight software in C or C++.
• Experience with satellite bus or payload software development.
• Familiarity with spacecraft subsystems and interfaces (power, communications, C&DH, ADCS).
• Experience working with real-time operating systems.
• Experience with hardware/software integration or low-level driver development.
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python, Perl, or similar.
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills; ability to produce secure, maintainable code.
• Comfortable in small, agile engineering teams; effective communicator with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain embedded flight software for small satellite bus systems.
• Coordinate with AI&T lead and other flight software engineers.
• Ensure code quality, maintainability, and cybersecurity best practices.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation and interface specs.
• Participate in unit testing, code reviews, and system validation.

Skills

C/C++

Embedded/flight software

Real-time systems

Python/Perl scripting

Debugging

Secure, maintainable code

Effective communicator

Agile team work

Education

Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering/CS/EE/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

VxWorks

RTEMS

Hardware/Software integration

Job description

Overview

Flight Software Engineer

LOCATION: Hybrid (Kirtland AFB, NM), Remote U.S. eligible

JOB STATUS: Full-time

CLEARANCE: U.S. Citizenship, DOD Secret Clearance

TRAVEL: 10% (if remote)

Astrion is seeking a Flight Software Engineer to support small satellite flight software development for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base.

This engineer will contribute to the design, development, and testing of satellite bus software supporting experimental and research missions. The role is ideal for a mid- to senior-level software engineer with experience developing embedded or flight software for spacecraft or other real-time systems.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

Education:

Bachelor of Science in one of the following or a related technical field:

• Software Engineering
• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering

• Minimum 5+ years of professional software development experience
• Experience developing embedded or flight software in C or C++
• Experience with satellite bus or payload software development
• Familiarity with spacecraft subsystems and interfaces (power, communications, command and data handling, ADCS, etc.)
• Experience working with real-time operating systems
• Experience with hardware/software integration or low-level driver development
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python, Perl, or similar
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills
• Ability to produce secure, maintainable, high-quality code
• Comfortable working in small, agile engineering teams
• Effective communicator with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Self-directed and adaptable in a research and development environment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• Experience with the VxWorks real-time operating system
• Experience with other embedded real-time systems such as RTEMS
• Master's degree in a relevant technical field

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design, develop, test, and maintain embedded flight software for small satellite bus systems
• Execute tasking from the satellite Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) lead
• Coordinate with other flight software engineers and subsystem teams
• Implement best practices for code quality, maintainability, and cybersecurity
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including interface specifications and user guides
• Participate in unit testing, code reviews, and system validation

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