Flight Software Systems Lead for STRIVE ALICE

MCSG Technologies; Greenbelt (MD); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

MCSG Technologies seeks an experienced Flight Software Systems Engineer (Chief) to provide leadership across the complete software lifecycle for the ALICE instrument on STRIVE at NASA GSFC in Greenbelt, MD. The role requires deep expertise in embedded flight software, architecture, and systems engineering, with cross‑functional collaboration across engineering teams.

The successful candidate will mentor staff, lead technical reviews, and drive verification, validation, and mission operations

Qualifications

• 20+ years of experience in software systems engineering for aerospace, spacecraft, or embedded real-time software systems.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related technical discipline.
• Must be a U.S. citizen eligible to obtain NAC clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Flight Software Systems Engineering activities throughout the complete mission lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain flight software concepts of operation, system architecture, software requirements, interface definitions, and technical baselines.
• Analyze mission, spacecraft, and instrument requirements and decompose them into detailed software system and subsystem requirements.
• Lead software architecture development, software allocation, interface design, and technical solution development for the ALICE instrument.
• Develop program specifications, ICDs, RVMs, and software verification plans.
• Participate in software implementation activities including coding, integration, debugging, and oversight of embedded flight software (C/C++, Python, Java, FORTRAN).
• Develop and maintain system test procedures for unit, integration, system, environmental, and mission-level testing.
• Coordinate software development across teams: systems engineering, flight software, hardware, avionics, instrument engineering, test, cybersecurity, operations.
• Lead software technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR, peer reviews).
• Identify technical risks, perform trade studies, and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support observatory integration, environmental testing, launch prep, early orbit ops, and sustainment.

Skills

Leadership

Software systems engineering

Requirements engineering

Architecture development

C/C++

Embedded flight software

Technical writing

Team coordination

Verification & validation

Git / GitLab

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/CE/EE

Tools

Git

GitLab

DOORS

Jama

RTEMS

VxWorks

Embedded Linux

Job description

MCSG Technologies seeks an experienced Flight Software Systems Engineer (Chief) to provide leadership across the complete software lifecycle for the ALICE instrument on STRIVE at NASA GSFC in Greenbelt, MD. The role requires deep expertise in embedded flight software, architecture, and systems engineering, with cross‑functional collaboration across engineering teams.

The successful candidate will mentor staff, lead technical reviews, and drive verification, validation, and mission operations