Flight Software Engineer, Distinguished

Draper Labs; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Draper is seeking a highly skilled Flight Software Engineer, Distinguished to join the Mission Software Architectures and Applications group in Cambridge, MA. The role focuses on developing high-performance embedded software for resource-constrained targets across multiple domains including space and hypersonics.

The engineer will design, develop, test, and mentor within a cross-disciplinary team, contributing to the full software development lifecycle and continuous improvement of best

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
• 10–15 years of experience in software engineering or related field.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Evaluates requirements; proposes solutions and design trades for a robust embedded system.
• Designs algorithms for real-time, resource-constrained environments.
• Develops and debugs embedded software and conducts software-in-the-loop tests.
• Mentors junior engineers and contributes to architecture decisions.
• Prepares technical data, procedures, reports, and documentation.
• Identifies risks and develops mitigation strategies; supports validation activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Job description

Overview

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross‑fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation.

Job Description Summary

Draper is looking for a highly skilled Flight Software Engineer, Distinguished to join the Mission Software Architectures and Applications group. The engineer develops high-performance solutions for resource‑constrained targets, designing and developing resilient, fault‑tolerant, real‑time, highly reliable software solutions in the application domains of undersea, terrestrial, air, hypersonics and space. The Engineer is well‑versed in the full mission‑critical software development life cycle, from architecture conceptualization, requirements analysis, design and documentation through development, testing and release. They collaborate across multiple interdisciplinary teams to plan, build and test new functionality. They work on developing and debugging embedded software as well as executing software and system-level tests in various engineering environments, including complex software‑in‑the‑loop simulations and real‑time hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments. The candidate will be expected to follow and push for continuous improvement of software development best practices on complex projects and will also provide mentorship to more junior software engineers.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Evaluates requirements, proposes solutions, explores design trades to support a design.
• Designs algorithms using modern theory and proven techniques.
• Develops embedded software based on prototype algorithms with supervision.
• Analyzes designs to demonstrate performance and functionality.
• Develops and executes software tests to check compliance with requirements.
• Evaluates results to establish problem causes and develop solutions for inefficient or problems.
• Prepares technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other required documentation.
• Drives solutions to complex problems with limited direction – contributes to requirements development and architecture solution ideation.
• Assumes responsibility for a subset of engineering scope.
• Identifies program/system-level technical risks and develops and executes mitigation strategies.
• Actively mentors less experienced engineers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent development and troubleshooting skills on embedded targets.
• Excellent knowledge of OS coding techniques, IP protocols, interfaces and hardware subsystems.
• Expertise in software development for real-time systems.
• Mastery of high-level development languages (e.g., C/C++, Rust).
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Knowledge of software configuration management tools, defect tracking tools and peer review processes.
• Excellent time management skills with the proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with UML/SysML.
• Experience with in-circuit emulators, JTAG debuggers and laboratory test equipment.

Education

Requires a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.

Experience

Requires 10-15 years experience in Software Engineering or related field.

Additional Requirements

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.

Job Location

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-3563

Compensation

$100,000.00 - $275,000.00

EEO Statement

Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We understand the value of inclusivity and its impact on a high-performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact [e-mail].