Flight Software Engineer IV

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena (CA); Sur place; USD 140 000 - 190 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena seeks a Flight Software Engineer IV to develop embedded flight software for spacecraft and payloads within the Flight Software Architecture group. You will contribute to leadership and delivery across CubeSats and larger missions, collaborating with avionics and mission systems teams.

The role emphasizes independent work or leading small teams, with a strong focus on design, testing, and integration in a mission-critical environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive understanding and hands-on programming techniques in real-time embedded software for mission-critical aerospace applications.
• Experience architecting, developing, debugging, releasing and maintaining complex embedded software for spacecraft.

Responsabilités

• Develop embedded flight software for spacecraft and payloads.
• Lead design reviews and mentor junior engineers.
• Integrate software with avionics hardware and simulations.

Connaissances

Embedded RTOS

C/C++

Python

IPC

Embedded systems

Linux

VxWorks

Software architecture

Team leadership

CAN bus

Formation

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related discipline

Master's degree in related discipline

PhD in related discipline

Outils

WindRiver VxWorks

FreeRTOS

Zephyr

SpaceWire

PCIe

UART

I2C

SPI

Description du poste

Job Details
New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That's our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers-literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission-your opportunity is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you're driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you're ready for JPL.

Job Details
New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That's our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers-literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission-your opportunity is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you're driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you're ready for JPL.
Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.
Responsibilities:
If you are passionate about spacecraft design, we invite you to join the Flight Software & Systems Engineering Section. We provide flight software and systems engineering for the design and implementation of spacecraft for the laboratory's key flight projects. We provide leadership and specialized expertise in developing flight software and systems engineering for spacecraft, small satellites, and instrument payloads.
As a Flight Software Engineer IV, you will be working for JPL's Flight Software and Systems Engineering Section, which provides leadership and specialized expertise in developing flight software and systems engineering for spacecraft, small satellites, and instrument payloads.
As a key member of the Flight Software Architecture and Infrastructure Group, you will perform software engineering activities associated with the delivery of embedded flight software products for small scale projects developing CubeSats, small satellites and spacecraft payloads where the typical flight software team sizes are between one and five people.
Mostly a software engineering assignment would involve the development of complex and mission critical embedded software for spacecraft, including software requirements definition, software design, code development, peer review, documentation, thorough unit testing, integration testing using simulations and avionics hardware, and defect resolution to JPL flight mission customers.
As a Flight Software Engineer IV, you would typically work independently with minimal guidance or lead a small team of software developers in planning a task, establishing requirements, preparing and presenting design solutions, managing resources, conducting reviews, reporting to upper management and mentoring fewer senior engineers.

Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, or related discipline with a minimum of 9 years of related work experience; a Master's degree in similar disciplines with a minimum of 7 years of related work experience; or a PhD in similar disciplines with a minimum of 5 years of related work experience.
Other qualifications include:

• Extensive understanding and wide application of advanced principles, theories, concepts and hands‑on programming techniques in:
• Architecting, developing, modifying, debugging, releasing and maintaining complex real-time embedded software systems for mission‑critical, aerospace applications.
• Developing application programs for the various functional domains (e.g., CDH, GNC, System Fault Protection, etc.) for execution in an embedded flight processor.
• Device driver development and software/hardware interfaces for both custom and commercial hardware, with experience debugging software/hardware interactions and possible failure modes.
• Distributed computing and inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms.
• Deep familiarity with communication buses and protocols: PCI/PCIe, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN bus, and SpaceWire.
• Real‑time or embedded operating systems such as FreeRTOS, RTEMS, Zephyr, or WindRiver VxWorks
• AI tools and processes for software development
• Proven team leadership ability in the development and delivery of reliable, embedded real‑time software applications that employs formal and structured lifecycle development process.
• An extensive background in software development and testing with specific experience in the following languages and operating systems: C++, C, Python, Linux, WindRiver VxWorks.
• Ability to guide in‑development hardware towards efficient specifications for software interfaces.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with ability to work in a team environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Advanced knowledge of Laboratory policies and procedures, NASA policies and procedures, and government regulations across a range of applications.
• Extensive experience developing, deploying