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Salary: USD 169,000 - 216,000 / annual
Varda Space Industries is building commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems, reentry capsules, and satellite buses. The company designs and operates all components in-house, from heat shields to processing payloads.
As a Senior Firmware Engineer on the Flight Software team, you will own the development of reliable firmware that controls how Varda's spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout their entire mission lifecycle. This is a full-stack role spanning requirements capture, design, implementation, testing, integration, and flight operational support.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing reliable, safety-critical firmware for spacecraft control systems
- Owning all aspects of software development from design through testing and integration
- Scoping projects, capturing requirements, and conducting design trades for open-ended problems
- Writing high-quality structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux-based software in C++ for embedded processors
- Building highly reliable and available software systems
- Ensuring system quality and performance through comprehensive V&V techniques
You will need a Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering, or equivalent technical experience in safety-critical software, plus 5+ years developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical systems. Strong experience with real-time embedded hardware/software systems and C++ is required. Preferred qualifications include aerospace safety-critical software experience, Python or Rust proficiency, and deep knowledge of computer architecture, operating systems, data structures, and networking.
Varda's team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharma, and Silicon Valley. The company is backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. You'll work at the El Segundo headquarters where vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested.
