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Salary: USD 169,067 - 216,031 / 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 major components in-house, from heat shields to satellite buses.
As a Senior Spacecraft Flight Software Engineer, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining the flight software that determines how Varda's spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout their entire missions. You will own all aspects of software development from initial requirements capture and design through testing, integration, and flight operational support.
Key responsibilities include:
- Develop reliable, safety-critical flight software for spacecraft and reentry systems
- Write structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux-based software in C++ for embedded processors
- Own complete software development lifecycle: design, testing, and integration
- Scope projects, capture requirements, and conduct design trades for open-ended problems
- Ensure system quality and performance through comprehensive software test, verification, and validation (V&V) techniques
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced aerospace environment
Varda's team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley. The company is well-funded by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. Headquarters and primary production facility are in El Segundo, CA, with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering, or equivalent technical experience in safety-critical software
- 5+ years of experience developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical software
- Strong proficiency in C++ with deep understanding of language concepts
Preferred skills and experience:
- End-to-end experience building and launching a spacecraft
- Real-time embedded systems development and testing
- Safety-critical software experience, especially aerospace applications
- CCSDS telemetry and telecommand systems
- F' or cFS framework experience
- Python or Rust programming
- Basic analog and digital electronics knowledge
- Familiarity with SPI, I2C, CAN, or EtherCAT protocols
