Senior Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer

Vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 169,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Paid holidays

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Wellness reimbursement

Parental leave

Maven Clinic

One Medical

Stock options

Job summary

Varda in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Senior Flight Software Engineer to define how our spacecraft behaves in orbit and to build reliable software for all phases from requirements to flight operations support.

The role focuses on developing flight software for embedded processors in C++, with bare metal, RTOS, or Linux environments, and owning design, testing, and integration, while collaborating across teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering, or equivalent safety-critical software experience.
• 5+ years of experience developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical software.
• Proficiency in C++ with strong language understanding.

Responsibilities

• Develop reliable flight software for spacecraft and subsystems.
• Write structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux-based embedded software in C++.
• Own software development from design to integration.
• Capture requirements and perform design trades for open-ended problems.
• Ensure quality through V&V, testing, and flight operations support.
• Collaborate effectively with team members.

Skills

C++

RTOS

Linux

Embedded systems

Safety-critical software

Spacecraft experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering

Tools

CCSDS telemetry/telecommand

F' or cFS framework

Python

Rust

Job description

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role

The Senior Flight Software Engineer is responsible for determining how our spacecraft behaves and operates in orbit and building reliable software to ensure it happens. The team is responsible for all phases of development, starting from requirements capture through testing and flight operational support.

Responsibilities

• Develop reliable flight software that determine how the spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout the entire mission.
• Write quality structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux based software for embedded processors in C++.
• Own all aspects of software development, from design, testing, and integration.
• Scope projects including requirements capture and initial design trades given open-ended problems.
• Ensure system quality and performance through software test, verification, and validation (V&V) technique.
• Teamwork, communicate and problem solve in a collaborative environment.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering or equivalent technical experience in safety critical software.
• 5+ years of experience in the development of spacecraft or similar safety critical software.
• Experience with development in C++, along with a strong understanding of the language concepts.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• End-to-end experience building and launching a spacecraft.
• Experience developing and testing real-time embedded systems.
• Experience with safety-critical software, especially for aerospace applications.
• Experience with CCSDS telemetry and telecommand system.
• Experience with F' or cFS framework.
• Experience with Python, or Rust.
• Knowledge of basic analog and digital electronics.
• Familiarity with SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT.

Pay Range

• Salary range: Senior Software Engineer: $169,067 - $216,031/ per year.
• This role ison-sitein El Segundo, CA.
• Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
• You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Benefits

Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits andperksthat support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.

Regular Full-Time Positions:

Health & Wellness

• Flexible PTO policy +12 paid holidays

• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options

• Voluntaryaccident, hospital, critical illness,andpet insurance

• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses

• 12weeks ofparental leave(with supplemental disability leavefor CAmothers)

• Family building, pregnancy,parentingand menopausebenefitsvia Maven Clinic

• SponsoredOne Medicalmemberships for employees and their dependents

Financial & Retirement