Flight Software Engineer

Astrion; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Astrion is seeking a Flight Software Engineer to support small satellite flight software development for the AFRL at Kirtland AFB. Hybrid work arrangement with remote U.S. eligibility.

Mid- to senior-level software engineer with embedded/flight experience will contribute to design, development, and testing of spacecraft software. Qualifications include a BS in a related field, 5+ years of experience, C/C++ for embedded systems, and familiarity with spacecraft subsystems and RTOS.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in a technical field is required.
• 5+ years of professional software development experience.
• Experience with embedded or flight software in C/C++.
• Familiarity with spacecraft subsystems and interfaces (power, comms, C&DH).
• Experience with real-time operating systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain embedded flight software for small satellite bus systems.
• Execute tasks from AI&A 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.

Skills

Embedded software

C/C++

Real-time OS

Scripting (Python, Perl)

Hardware/software integration

Debugging & problem-solving

Agile teamwork

Communications with stakeholders

Security-conscious coding

VxWorks exposure

RTOS knowledge

Education

B.S. in Software Engineering or related field

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

• 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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