Lead Spaceflight Software Architect

Rocket Lab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage

401(k) with company match

Stock purchase program

EV charging subsidies

Onsite gym

Job summary

Rocket Lab is seeking a Principal Software Engineer – TS/SCI to lead the design, development, and delivery of mission-critical software for space systems based in Long Beach, CA. You will guide flight and ground software, collaborate with systems teams, and ensure software readiness for challenging aerospace missions.

You will apply expertise in C/C++, embedded systems, RTOS, and flight software to build reliable solutions, while coordinating with stakeholders and leading others in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or related field.
• 12+ years of professional software development experience including embedded systems and ground software.
• Proven expertise in architecting scalable aerospace/defense software systems.
• Proficiency in C and C++ for embedded software and Python for testing.
• Experience with CAN/CAN-FD, SpaceWire, and UDP/TCP protocols.
• Experience with integrating hardware and debugging.
• Familiarity with flight software architecture from electrical design.

Responsibilities

• Lead software architecture for flight and ground systems to ensure scalability and security.
• Develop flight software for RTOS (VxWorks) and embedded Linux, including drivers for spacecraft sensors/actuators.
• Build and deploy ground software platforms for spacecraft operations.
• Create unit tests in CI framework and collaborate with hardware-in-the-loop tests.
• Mentor engineers, guide leadership, align software with mission requirements.
• Support on-orbit operations and ensure software resilience in harsh environments.

Skills

C/C++

Embedded systems

Python

RTOS (VxWorks)

Embedded Linux

Flight software

RF communications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer science

Tools

CAN/CAN-FD

SpaceWire

UDP/TCP

Git-based workflows

CI/CD

Kubernetes

Job description

Rocket Lab is seeking a Principal Software Engineer – TS/SCI to lead the design, development, and delivery of mission-critical software for space systems based in Long Beach, CA. You will guide flight and ground software, collaborate with systems teams, and ensure software readiness for challenging aerospace missions.

You will apply expertise in C/C++, embedded systems, RTOS, and flight software to build reliable solutions, while coordinating with stakeholders and leading others in a fast-paced