Senior / Principal Flight Software Engineer - Spacecraft Payloads

EVONA; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

EVONA in Santa Clara is seeking a Senior/Principal Flight Software Engineer to own the payload flight software end-to-end—from architecture through integration and on-orbit support. The role is hands-on and hardware-facing, demanding deep expertise in embedded real-time systems.

You'll collaborate across electrical, mechanical, and mission operations, develop primarily in C++ and Rust on Linux, and help set development standards as the company scales.

Qualifications

• 5+ years crafting embedded real-time software for spacecraft or similar systems.
• Strong C++ and/or Rust with hands-on architecture experience.
• Experience across hardware/software interfaces and testing.
• Ability to own significant technical work in a small team.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement flight software for spacecraft payloads.
• Own software architecture across command/telemetry, data handling and health monitoring.
• Develop under Linux, using C++ and Rust.
• Lead integration with vendors and external partners.
• Create SIL/HIL test environments and verification infrastructure.
• Support commissioning and on-orbit operations.

Skills

C++

Rust

Embedded systems

Software architecture

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/EE

Tools

cFS

F Prime

SpaceWire

CAN

TCP/IP

Job description

Senior / Principal Flight Software Engineer - Spacecraft Payloads

Early-Stage Space Technology Company

I’m working with a rapidly growing space technology company developing advanced spacecraft payload systems for both commercial and government missions.

They’re looking for an experienced Flight Software Engineer to take significant ownership of payload flight software - from architecture and development through spacecraft integration, verification, commissioning and ultimately on-orbit operations.

This is a broad, highly hands-on position for someone who wants to work close to the hardware and have genuine influence over how flight software is built as the company scales.

What you'll be doing

• Design and develop flight software for advanced spacecraft payloads
• Own architecture across command & control, telemetry, data handling, health monitoring, fault protection and autonomous operations
• Develop primarily in C++ and/or Rust within Linux environments
• Lead payload-to-spacecraft software integration, working directly with spacecraft vendors and external engineering partners
• Define software interfaces, ICDs, timing requirements, communications and data flows
• Develop SIL/HIL test environments, automated test frameworks and flight-software verification infrastructure
• Work directly with electronics, sensors, communications systems and payload hardware during integration and testing
• Support spacecraft-level integration, environmental testing and mission-readiness activities
• Participate in commissioning and on-orbit operations, including telemetry analysis, anomaly resolution and flight-software updates
• Work closely with electrical, optical, RF, controls, systems, mechanical and mission-operations engineers
• Help establish flight-software architecture, development standards and engineering practices as the organization grows

What they're looking for

• 5+ years developing embedded, real-time, distributed or mission-critical software
• Strong C++ and/or Rust
• Experience architecting and testing complex embedded software
• Comfortable working across the hardware/software boundary
• Experience troubleshooting systems involving software, electronics, communications, sensors or other hardware
• Ability to take significant technical ownership and operate effectively in a small engineering team
• Strong communication skills when working with internal teams, spacecraft vendors and external partners

Particularly relevant experience

Any combination of the following would stand out:

• Spacecraft or payload flight software
• cFS, F Prime or similar flight-software frameworks
• Ethernet, CAN, UART, SpaceWire, CCSDS or TCP/IP
• Command and telemetry systems
• Fault detection, isolation and recovery FDIR
• Autonomous spacecraft or robotic systems
• Complex sensors, optical systems, RF systems or scientific payloads
• SIL / HIL / processor-in-the-loop testing
• Spacecraft integration and environmental test campaigns
• Ground systems and mission operations
• Spacecraft commissioning or on-orbit support
• High-reliability / fault-tolerant software

Why consider it?

This is an opportunity to join a small space company at a stage where you can have genuine ownership rather than inheriting a mature software stack.

You’ll be involved across the full lifecycle: