SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Apex manufactures satellite buses (spacecraft platforms) at scale, combining software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing. The company enables earth observation, communications, and other critical space applications.
As a Senior Embedded Flight Software Engineer on the Flight Software team, you will design, develop, and own the low-level software that brings Apex's spacecraft to life. You will work on the hardest problems in autonomous systems and build robust, mission-critical software that enables reliable spacecraft operation 24/7 across every mission phase.
Key responsibilities include:
- Develop low-level software that configures and drives processor peripherals and communication interfaces on avionics
- Write and debug device drivers for sensors, actuators, and components across the bus
- Implement onboard algorithms, including closed-loop control and fault detection/response logic (e.g., failed sensors, radiation upsets)
- Design, develop, and own mission-critical software throughout the full lifecycle: architecture, development, deployment, and operations
- Develop rapid iterative software for bench and development testing, plus robust, rigorously reviewed software for manufacturing and flight systems
- Plan and execute unit, integration, and system-level testing; diagnose and resolve defects
- Collaborate cross-functionally with systems, hardware, test, and operations teams to establish requirements, define technical roadmaps, and drive execution
- Support spacecraft commissioning during launch and early operations, troubleshooting software and ensuring critical flight systems remain functional
The Flight Software team comprises three interconnected sub-teams: high-level application software, operating system software, and embedded software, with significant collaboration across all three. Experience in the space industry is not required; the company seeks motivated engineers who enjoy solving complex problems, balance technical rigor with practicality, and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
APEX OFFERS:
- Equity in the company
- 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and dependents, plus $100k life insurance
- 15+ days vacation (growing to 20+), plus 10 paid holidays
- 401(k) with 100% match on first 3%, 50% on next 2%
- 8 weeks paid parental leave plus childcare reimbursement up to $350/day
- Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
- Monthly office socials, pickleball, run club, family gatherings
- World-class Playa Vista office with flexibility for work-life integration
REQUIREMENTS:
- U.S. Citizenship (must possess ability to access export-controlled data)
- Active Top Secret clearance with SCI access and SAP eligibility
- 8+ years writing C/C++ for embedded systems, ideally in spacecraft, robotics, automotive, or hardware interacting with the physical world
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent
- Strong proficiency in C++, Python, or Rust
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- 3+ years flight software experience
- Firmware development for microcontrollers (bare-metal or RTOS)
- Hardware/software integration experience (reading schematics, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers)
- Solid understanding of microcontroller/microprocessor architecture (memory, buses, DMA)
- FPGA development experience
- Experience bringing up new avionics or flight hardware from first power-on
- Satellite attitude control systems (ACS) experience (reaction wheels, magnetorquers, thrusters, sensors)
- Motor driving, power electronics, or feedback sensor experience (encoders, current monitors)
- Mission-critical satellite software development, testing, deployment, and troubleshooting from prototyping through flight operations
- Real-time software on distributed hardware platforms across multiple satellite products
- Embedded and real-time operating systems (Embedded Linux, Yocto, Buildroot, FreeRTOS, VxWorks)
- Low-level device driver development (SPI, I²C, UART, Ethernet, CAN, SpaceWire)
- Satellite communication standards and protocols (CCSDS, ECSS)
- Networking and secure communications (TCP/IP, UDP, TLS), data serialization (Protobuf, JSON, MessagePack), encryption (AES, RSA)
- Requirements translation, technical roadmap definition, cross-functional coordination
- Spacecraft commissioning support during launch and early operations
- Version control, configuration management, automated testing, CI/CD pipelines
