Senior Satellite Embedded Software Architect

Terran Orbital; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company-paid medical, dental, vision

401(k) match

Flexible Time Off

Education reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

Terran Orbital is seeking a Principal Embedded Software Engineer to lead architecture and integration of embedded software across satellite programs. You will work under the Embedded Software & FPGA Manager, shaping high‑performance mission solutions.

You will mentor engineers, develop tests, and ensure robust software for space systems, with occasional travel and DoD‑level compliance expectations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science; Master’s preferred.
• 12+ years of experience developing C/C++ applications for embedded, high‑performance, or mission‑critical systems.
• Experience with bare‑metal and RTOS‑based designs (FreeRTOS, internal schedulers).
• Deep understanding of MCU architectures, peripherals, and low‑level interfaces across multiple MCU families.
• Experience with embedded test equipment and debugging tools (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers).
• Experience with serial protocols (CAN, RS‑232/422/485, I2C, SPI, PCI).
• Strong written and verbal communication; U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain DoD clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain embedded software for satellite modules.
• Architect and integrate software across programs.
• Lead technical efforts and mentor junior engineers.
• Create unit tests and system-level tests; participate in design reviews.
• Support security of embedded systems and customer interactions.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

RTOS

Bare‑metal design

Microcontroller architecture

Embedded debugging

Serial protocols (CAN, RS-232/422/485,

I2C/SPI/PCI

Leadership

Clearance‑ready / DoD compliance

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

FreeRTOS

GCC/Make

GDB

Oscilloscopes / logic analyzers

Linux

Job description

Terran Orbital is seeking a Principal Embedded Software Engineer to lead architecture and integration of embedded software across satellite programs. You will work under the Embedded Software & FPGA Manager, shaping high‑performance mission solutions.

You will mentor engineers, develop tests, and ensure robust software for space systems, with occasional travel and DoD‑level compliance expectations.