Space Robotics Software Engineer

Phenix Space (Neo ‘25); San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Phenix Space is building the next generation in-space computing and robotics. We seek a software engineer to develop flight and embedded software that moves, senses, and decides in space-grade systems.

You will work across hardware, electronics, robotics, GNC, and simulation with the founders to ship capabilities that evolve orbit technology. You will own end-to-end features from requirements to flight deployment, focusing on real-time control, sensor fusion, and safe-state logic while

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in computer science, electrical, aerospace, or mechanical engineering or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years writing production software for physical systems (spacecraft/robots/vehicles).
• Strong C or C++ for real-time and safety-critical systems, plus Python.
• Experience with low-level communication protocols: EtherCAT, CAN, SPI, I2C, UART.
• Ability to reason about hardware-software interactions and ship code to hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop flight software for robot systems, including control, telemetry, fault management, and safe modes.
• Implement embedded software interfacing with hardware, drivers, HALs and real-time buses.
• Drive architecture and end-to-end features from requirements through hardware and flight.
• Test via simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, bench testing and flight trials with hardware teams.

Skills

C/C++ real-time

Python

Embedded firmware

RTOS

EtherCAT

CAN bus

SPI/I2C/UART

Systems thinking

US Person

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/Aerospace/Mechatronics

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

EtherCAT

CAN

SPI

I2C

UART

Job description

Phenix Space is a venture-backed startup building the upgradeable space layer for Earth's critical industries. Satellites have been built the same way for more than 60 years. Launch has had its revolution and we can get mass to orbit, but once a satellite is up we are still stuck with it: we cannot refresh constellations, reconstitute lost capability or make any change. Humans, with some help from robotics, have done this on Hubble and the ISS. We see a world where changing what is in orbit is autonomous and available at scale, and we are building the robotic systems and standard interface to make it happen. Phenix Space enables evolution in orbit.

We are hiring a curious software engineer who thinks in systems and gets things done. You write the software that makes our systems move, sense and decide, and you understand the hardware your code drives. You will work with every function at the company: hardware, electronics, robotics, GNC and simulation, and the founders.

What you will own:

Flight and robot software

• Flight software for our systems: robot control, reasoning and task logic, telemetry, fault management, safe modes and recovery.
• Real-time control loops for actuators and sensors, and the sensor fusion that feeds them.
• Packaging, deploying and testing software on a robotic system.

Embedded systems

• Embedded and low-level software that talks to hardware: firmware, drivers, hardware abstraction layers and real-time buses such as EtherCAT and CAN.
• Software for space-constrained compute: power, thermal and radiation limits.

Architecture and integration

• Driving big parts of the system architecture and owning features end to end, from requirements and interfaces through hardware and flight.
• Integrating software with hardware alongside our electronics, robotics and GNC engineers.

Testing and space readiness

• Testing from simulation and hardware-in-the-loop to the bench, environmental test and flight, and iterating on the results.
• Working hand in hand with hardware owners so we can test new capabilities quickly.

What you bring:

• B.S., M.S. or PhD in computer science, electrical, computer, aerospace or mechanical engineering, mechatronics, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years writing production software for physical systems: spacecraft, robots, drones, vehicles or similar.
• Strong C or C++ for real-time and safety-critical systems, including embedded firmware on microcontrollers, plus Python.
• Low-level communication protocols such as EtherCAT, CAN, SPI, I2C and UART.
• You think in systems: you understand the hardware your code drives and how one subsystem affects the others.
• You have shipped and deployed software to hardware that had to work outside the lab.
• You are deeply curious, have a can-do attitude, and dive deep into any layer of the stack when the problem calls for it.
• U.S. person status, required for export control (ITAR/EAR).

Nice to have:

• Space flight experience, satellite integration or in-space robotics.
• Robotics, motion control or actuation systems.
• Radiation-tolerant software practices and space-grade processors.
• Perception with cameras or depth sensors.
• Startup experience, where you took ownership of problems nobody assigned you.
• A track record of finding new ways to approach hard problems.
• Build the next layer of space infrastructure: one that makes today’s space applications orders of magnitude better and brings new ones to orbit.
• Your work will fly to space within your first year at Phenix.
• You will set the software architecture we fly for years.
• Join a multidisciplinary team from Dexterity, NASA JPL, SpaceX, Nimble, Boeing, Honeywell Space and Capella Space, among others, that executes with discipline, keeps evolving our capabilities and makes progress toward our vision every day.
• Build a space robotics system that has never flown before and bring physical AI to space.
• Own wide-ranging work across software, hardware and test, with room to grow into a technical leader.
• Move fast on problems in robot control, space-rated computing and autonomy.