Staff Flight Software Engineer

The role

You will design, develop, and maintain flight software systems for spacecraft and telescope platforms. You will work with a multidisciplinary team to deliver reliable, fault-tolerant systems for ground-based and potential future space-based deployment.

What you will do

• Design and develop flight software for spacecraft and telescope systems, including command, control, and data handling (C&DH).
• Build and maintain software that interfaces directly with hardware components, sensors, and onboard subsystems.
• Architect systems for high reliability, fault tolerance, and long-duration autonomous operation.
• Implement communication protocols for telemetry, command uplink/downlink, and system coordination.
• Collaborate with electrical and hardware teams to ensure seamless integration between software and physical systems.
• Support hardware bring-up, integration, and debugging at the hardware/software boundary.
• Develop and implement fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) mechanisms.
• Support system testing, including simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and validation activities.
• Participate in and contribute to design reviews (PDR, CDR, etc.) and internal documentation.
• Provide engineering support during integration, testing, and system validation.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, embedded systems, or systems-level development.
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ or similar low-level languages.
• Experience developing software for embedded or hardware-integrated systems.
• Understanding of real-time systems, concurrency, and performance optimization.
• Familiarity with communication protocols and networking fundamentals.
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communicator and collaborator.
• Demonstrated passion for aerospace, robotics, or complex systems.

Nice to have

• Experience developing flight software for spacecraft, satellites, or aerospace systems.
• Familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS) or embedded Linux environments.
• Understanding of fault-tolerant system design and reliability engineering.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and simulation environments.
• Familiarity with space communication standards (e.g., CCSDS).
• Experience working in fast-paced, early-stage or startup environments.
• Basic scripting or automation (Python, MATLAB) for testing or data analysis.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation
• Equity Opportunities with stock options
• Flexible Work Environment
• Unlimited PTO (Salaried positions only)
• Paid holidays
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with 100% of the premium paid by the employer
• Cutting-Edge Tools
• Mission-Driven Culture
• Inclusive Team

About the company

Observable Space is a vertically integrated, high-growth, space technology company building precision optics platforms for Earth and in space. They deliver foundational systems enabling continuous, real-time navigation, observation, and communication in space.