Senior Flight Software Engineer

TalentRemedy; United States; On-site; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

TalentRemedy is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer to join the Space team. You will develop flight software powering spacecraft and payloads, working from driver-level code to integrated system functionality.

Reporting to the Spacecraft Bus Lead, you will architect, implement, test, and optimize software for on-board computer, radio, telemetry, and payload operations, collaborating with Systems Engineering, RF, Electrical, AI&T, and Operations teams.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of spacecraft flight software development on RTOS or embedded Linux.
• Strong proficiency in C, Python, and Git version control.
• Experience with spacecraft command and telemetry systems or satellite bus architectures.
• Radio communications and software-defined radios familiarity is a plus.
• FPGA development experience, especially Xilinx Zynq platforms.
• Knowledge of Yocto/OpenEmbedded for ARM-based embedded Linux.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement flight software in C/C++ for OBC, radio, telemetry, and command handling.
• Develop low-level embedded drivers for subsystems across RTOS and Linux platforms.
• Support hardware bring-up and verify software with HW/SW interactions.
• Perform unit, integration, and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Build Python and C/C++ tools for ground support and data processing.
• Analyze flight test data to diagnose issues and drive improvements.
• Optimize software for low-SWaP environments and resource usage.
• Collaborate with Systems, RF, Electrical, and Operations teams on integration.
• Participate in rapid development cycles, reviews, and iterative testing.

Skills

C programming

Python

RTOS experience

Embedded Linux

FPGA development

Git

Education

B.S. in CS/EE or related field

Tools

Git

GitLab CI

Oscilloscopes

Job description

Salary Range: $130,000 - $175,000 USD Base + 15% Annual bonus + RSUs

Our client is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer to join the Space team. You will develop flight software that powers our spacecraft and payloads, working directly with flight hardware from driver-level code through integrated system functionality. This role offers the opportunity to directly influence mission success by architecting, implementing, testing, and optimizing software that flies on-orbit. Reporting to the Spacecraft Bus Lead, you'll contribute to critical spacecraft systems including on-board computer flight software (OBC FSW), radio communications, command & telemetry, and payload operations. This role is ideal for an engineer with proven spacecraft flight software experience who thrives in fast-paced environments and enjoys solving complex technical problems.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement flight software in C/C++ for critical spacecraft functions including radio communications, onboard computer (OBC) systems, telemetry, command handling, payload tasking, and autonomous fault protection.
• Develop and integrate low-level embedded drivers for spacecraft subsystems across RTOS and embedded Linux platforms
• Support hardware bring-up and system integration, debugging interactions between software, processors, FPGAs, sensors, radios, and payload electronics.
• Conduct unit testing, integrated software testing, and hardware-in-the-loop verification to ensure reliability before launch.
• Build and maintain Python and C/C++ tools for ground support equipment, automated testing workflows, and data processing.
• Analyze on-orbit and ground test data to diagnose issues, validate performance, and drive continuous system improvements.
• Optimize software for Low-SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) embedded environments, focusing on performance, efficiency, and resource utilization.
• Collaborate closely with Systems Engineering, RF, Electrical, AI&T, and Operations teams to ensure seamless multi-disciplinary integration.
• Participate in rapid development cycles, supporting design reviews, code reviews, and iterative hardware/software testing.

Requirements:

• 3+ years of spacecraft flight software development experience on RTOS or embedded Linux platforms
• Strong Proficiency in C, Python, and version control (Git).
• Proven ability to solve complex technical problems with high attention to detail and minimal oversight.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in cross-functional engineering teams.
• B.S. degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• Experience with spacecraft command and telemetry systems, mission operations, or satellite bus architectures
• Radio communications systems development, including software-defined radios or RF payload interfaces
• Hands-on experience with board bring-up and hardware debugging using lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, signal generators)
• Knowledge of embedded communication protocols such as CAN, SPI, I²C, RS-422, , or similar
• FPGA development experience, particularly with Xilinx Zynq platforms
• Linux kernel internals and driver development
• Experience with Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+, Zynq-7000, or similar SoC platforms
• Familiarity with bare-metal microcontrollers or Zephyr RTOS
• Understanding of Yocto/OpenEmbedded for ARM-based embedded Linux systems
• Experience with GitLab CI or similar Continuous Integration tools