Senior Spacecraft Flight Software Architect

Front Door Defense; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

HawkEye 360 is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer to develop and validate robust flight software and drivers for our spacecraft. You will work from driver-level code through integrated system functionality, influencing mission success.

The role involves OBC FSW, radio, telemetry, command handling, and payload operations on-orbit. You will design and implement C/C++ flight software, develop embedded drivers, and collaborate with hardware teams across RTOS and embedded Linux

Qualifications

• 3+ years of spacecraft flight software development on RTOS or embedded Linux.
• Strong proficiency in C, Python, and Git.
• Proven ability to solve complex technical problems with high attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in cross-functional engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement flight software in C/C++ for spacecraft functions including radio communications, 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 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 and drive continuous improvements.
• Optimize software for Low-Swap embedded environments focusing on performance and resource utilization.
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering, RF, Electrical, AI&T, and Operations teams for integration.
• Participate in rapid development cycles, design/code reviews, and testing.

Skills

C

Python

Git

Problem solving

Communication

Education

B.S. in CS/EE

Tools

RTOS

Embedded Linux

Xilinx Zynq

CAN/SPI/I2C

Git

Job description

HawkEye 360 is seeking a Senior Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer to develop and validate robust flight software and drivers for our spacecraft. You will work from driver-level code through integrated system functionality, influencing mission success.

The role involves OBC FSW, radio, telemetry, command handling, and payload operations on-orbit. You will design and implement C/C++ flight software, develop embedded drivers, and collaborate with hardware teams across RTOS and embedded Linux