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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 flight software.
As a Senior Embedded Linux Software Engineer on the Flight Software team, you will develop reliable, safety-critical software that determines how 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 reliable flight software in C++ for embedded processors, using bare metal, RTOS, or Linux-based systems
- Owning the full 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 software verification and validation (V&V)
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to solve complex problems
You will bring 5+ years of experience developing spacecraft or safety-critical software, a strong foundation in C++, and ideally experience with real-time embedded systems, aerospace safety standards, or spacecraft development end-to-end. Additional strengths in Python, Rust, CCSDS telemetry/telecommand systems, F' or cFS frameworks, and familiarity with communication protocols (SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT) are valued. A bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, or engineering (or equivalent technical experience) is required.
Varda's team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and major pharmaceutical companies. The company is backed by leading investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. You will work on-site in El Segundo, California, where Varda operates its production facility for vehicle integration and testing.
