Flight Software Engineer — Real-Time Embedded C++

Poseidon Aerospace; California; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity

Relocation support

Employee health plans

6% retirement matching

Flexible PTO

Free lunches and stocked fridge

AI tools and subscriptions

Job summary

Poseidon Aerospace seeks a Flight Software Engineer to craft real-time, deterministic C++ that drives our autonomous cargo aircraft. You will develop software for flight computers, read sensors, command actuators, and support test activities from unit tests to hardware-in-the-loop.

You will define interfaces with avionics and the GNC team, implement fault detection, and extend coverage with software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Qualifications

• B.S. in computer science, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of professional C or C++ development.
• Experience with embedded real-time or safety-critical software.
• Experience debugging software on real hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop real-time embedded flight software in C++.
• Write drivers and interfaces for sensors, actuators, engine controllers, and data buses (CAN, ARINC 429, serial, Ethernet).
• Implement fault detection and response, including redundancy management, degraded modes, and lost-link behavior.
• Implement the GNC team’s algorithms in flight code and verify them against simulation.
• Define software requirements and interfaces with avionics, GNC, and flight test, and trace them to tests.
• Write unit tests and extend software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop coverage.
• Build telemetry, logging, and command paths between the aircraft and the ground station.
• Support aircraft integration, ground testing, and flight test, including travel to our flight test site.
• Debug flight software in the lab and from flight data.
• Participate in code and design reviews.

Skills

C++ development

Real-time systems

Embedded debugging

Education

B.S. degree

Tools

RTOS

Python

DO-178C

Job description

Poseidon Aerospace seeks a Flight Software Engineer to craft real-time, deterministic C++ that drives our autonomous cargo aircraft. You will develop software for flight computers, read sensors, command actuators, and support test activities from unit tests to hardware-in-the-loop.

You will define interfaces with avionics and the GNC team, implement fault detection, and extend coverage with software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing.