Flight Software Engineer III — Embedded Spacecraft

California Institute Of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory; United States; On-site; USD 145,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health

Dental

Vision

Wellbeing

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Learning

Rideshare

Childcare

Flexible schedule

Parental leave

Job summary

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, invites applications for a Flight Software Engineer III to design, implement, and test embedded flight software for small satellites and spacecraft payloads. You will work within the Flight Software Architecture and Infrastructure Group on development, integration, and verification activities across software life cycles.

The role requires strong C/C++ and Python skills, experience with real‑time operating systems, and a collaborative,

Qualifications

• Developing, modifying, debugging, releasing and maintaining real‑time embedded software systems for mission‑critical aerospace applications.
• Developing application programs for functional domains (CDH, GNC, System Fault Protection) for embedded flight processors.
• Experience with distributed computing and inter‑process communication mechanisms.
• Familiarity with PCI/PCIe, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN bus, and SpaceWire interfaces.
• Demonstrate knowledge of UDP/TCP network protocols.
• Experience with real‑time or embedded operating systems (e.g., FreeRTOS, RTEMS, Zephyr, WindRiver VxWorks).
• Experience with static code analysis toolsets.
• Knowledge of C++, C, Python, Linux and their application in flight software.

Responsibilities

• Perform software requirements definition, design, coding, peer review and documentation for embedded flight software.
• Conduct thorough unit testing and integration testing using simulations and avionics hardware.
• Support software level peer reviews and formal testing of peer developed capabilities.
• Work under guidance of a Cognizant Engineer to understand required software capabilities.
• Determine the software approach and take responsibility for final coded capability.

Skills

Real-time embedded software

C/C++

Python

Linux

UDP/TCP networking

Communication protocols

Verbal and written communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related discipline

Master’s degree in related discipline

PhD in related discipline

Tools

FreeRTOS

RTEMS

Zephyr

WindRiver VxWorks

Job description

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, invites applications for a Flight Software Engineer III to design, implement, and test embedded flight software for small satellites and spacecraft payloads. You will work within the Flight Software Architecture and Infrastructure Group on development, integration, and verification activities across software life cycles.

The role requires strong C/C++ and Python skills, experience with real‑time operating systems, and a collaborative,