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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 Flight Software Engineer, you will own the development of reliable flight software that determines how Varda's spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout their entire mission lifecycle. You'll work across all phases of development—from requirements capture and design through testing, integration, and flight operational support.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing reliable, safety-critical flight software in C++ for embedded processors (bare metal, RTOS, or Linux-based systems)
- Owning the complete software development lifecycle: design, testing, integration, and verification
- Scoping projects, capturing requirements, and conducting design trades for open-ended problems
- Ensuring system quality and performance through rigorous test, verification, and validation (V&V) techniques
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced aerospace environment
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering, or equivalent technical experience in safety-critical software
- 5+ years developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical software
- Strong C++ expertise and deep understanding of language concepts
Preferred experience includes end-to-end spacecraft development and launch, real-time embedded systems, aerospace safety-critical software, CCSDS telemetry/telecommand systems, F' or cFS frameworks, Python or Rust, analog/digital electronics, and familiarity with SPI, I2C, CAN, or EtherCAT protocols.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL. The company was founded in 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov, backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. The team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and major pharmaceutical companies.
