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Northwood Space is a modern space infrastructure company building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions in national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. The company designs, builds, and rapidly deploys vertically integrated systems that power next-generation space missions.
As a Network Software Engineer (Ground Software focus), you will develop the software that handles, processes, and delivers mission data across the satellite ground network. You will own critical components of the communications data path—from protocol implementation and real-time stream processing through integration testing and operational deployment.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design, build, and maintain software for ingesting, processing, and routing telemetry, tracking, and command data
- Implement and validate CCSDS protocols, including space packets, transfer frames, synchronization, and data encapsulation
- Develop high-performance data pipelines connecting software-defined radios, ground-station infrastructure, and customer endpoints
- Build tooling for packet parsing, frame validation, buffering, recording, replay, monitoring, and debugging
- Translate customer mission requirements into configurable data-handling workflows and interfaces
- Collaborate with DSP and FPGA engineers to define and validate interfaces between physical-layer processing and higher-level communications software
- Test communications workflows using simulated, hardware-in-the-loop, and live satellite data
- Own software through development, deployment, operational validation, and ongoing mission support
Required qualifications: Bachelor's degree with 2–5+ years of relevant experience (or Master's with 1–4+ years) in computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, or related field. Strong programming skills in systems-oriented languages (Rust, C++, or Go). Experience developing software for networking, telecommunications, real-time data processing, or distributed systems. Solid understanding of network protocols, binary data formats, serialization, buffering, and asynchronous data processing. Experience building and debugging software across system boundaries (hardware, networks, external interfaces). Demonstrated ownership of a production software system from design through deployment and operational use.
Preferred: CCSDS standards experience, satellite telemetry/command systems knowledge, high-throughput/low-latency pipeline experience, TCP/UDP/multicast/gRPC familiarity, SDR/modem/FPGA integration experience, packet capture and protocol analysis skills.
