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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 operates end-to-end, designing and manufacturing all components in-house.
As a Senior Flight Software Engineer, you will be responsible for developing reliable flight software that controls how Varda's spacecraft, satellite buses, and reentry capsules operate throughout their missions. You will own all aspects of software development—from requirements capture and design through testing, integration, and flight operations support.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing safety-critical flight software in C++ for bare metal, RTOS, and Linux-based embedded processors
- Owning complete software development lifecycle: design, testing, and integration
- Scoping projects, capturing requirements, and conducting design trades for open-ended problems
- Ensuring system quality and performance through comprehensive verification and validation (V&V)
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced aerospace environment
You will bring 5+ years of experience developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical software, a strong foundation in C++, and ideally experience with real-time embedded systems, aerospace safety standards, or spacecraft launch programs. Preferred qualifications include familiarity with F' or cFS frameworks, CCSDS telemetry/telecommand systems, Python/Rust, and knowledge of digital electronics and communication protocols (SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT).
Varda's team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley. The company is backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. You will work on-site at Varda's El Segundo headquarters, which houses the production facility where vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested.
