Realtime Ground Software Engineer - Telemetry & CCSDS

Northwood Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space is seeking a Ground Software Engineer to design and maintain software that ingests, processes, and routes telemetry, tracking, and command data across our satellite ground network. You will implement CCSDS protocols, build high-performance data pipelines, and collaborate with DSP/FPGA teams to deliver production-ready software from development through deployment.

With 2–5+ years in systems programming and a background in C++, Rust, or Go, you will turn customer requirements into

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 2–5+ years of relevant experience, or Master's with 1–4+ years in computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, or related field.
• Strong programming skills in a systems-oriented language such as Rust, C++, or Go.
• Experience developing software for networking, telecommunications, real-time data processing, or distributed systems.
• Solid understanding of network protocols, binary data formats, serialization, buffering, and asynchronous data processing.
• Experience building and debugging software across system boundaries, including hardware, networks, and external interfaces.
• Demonstrated ownership of a production software system from initial design through deployment and operational use.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain software for ingesting, processing, and routing telemetry, tracking, and command data
• Implement and validate CCSDS protocols, including space packets, transfer frames, synchronization, and data encapsulation
• Develop high-performance data pipelines connecting software-defined radios, ground-station infrastructure, and customer endpoints
• Build tooling for packet parsing, frame validation, buffering, recording, replay, monitoring, and debugging
• Translate customer mission requirements into configurable data-handling workflows and interfaces
• Collaborate with DSP and FPGA engineers to define and validate interfaces between physical-layer processing and higher-level software
• Test communications workflows using simulated, hardware-in-the-loop, and live satellite data
• Own software through development, deployment, operational validation, and ongoing mission support

Skills

Rust

C++

Go

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Northwood Space is seeking a Ground Software Engineer to design and maintain software that ingests, processes, and routes telemetry, tracking, and command data across our satellite ground network. You will implement CCSDS protocols, build high-performance data pipelines, and collaborate with DSP/FPGA teams to deliver production-ready software from development through deployment.

With 2–5+ years in systems programming and a background in C++, Rust, or Go, you will turn customer requirements into