Head of Flight Software Engineering

Fortastra

Torrance (CA)

On-site

USD 300,000 - 345,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Comprehensive Healthcare

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401(k)

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Job summary

Fortastra, a Torrance, CA-based space systems company, seeks a Head of Flight Software Engineer to own end-to-end flight software development and integration. You will build mission operations tools and embedded software, collaborating with avionics, GNC, and systems engineers to bring spacecraft from concept to flight.

The role demands a strong systems mindset and hands-on leadership in a fast-moving team.

Qualifications

BS degree in CS/CE/EE/physics or related field
Experience in systems and mission operations software
Experience with space systems (rovers, satellites, launch vehicles)
Embedded real-time/safety-critical software experience
DevOps for embedded systems and automated testing pipelines
Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop, fault tolerance & safety-critical standards
Experience with cloud-based ground systems or mission control software
Ability to work independently and in small, fast-moving teams
Headquartered in Torrance, CA
U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain or have an active TS/SCI clearance

Responsibilities

Build mission operations software for real-time planning, execution, and monitoring.
Develop and integrate flight software from architecture to flight readiness.
Develop ground software services for telemetry, commanding, and visualization.
Write embedded flight software for computers, sensors, and actuators.
Collaborate with avionics, propulsion, and GNC on software interfaces/data models.
Contribute to flight software CI/CD pipelines, testing frameworks, and simulations.
Support software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing and flight campaigns