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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 Spacecraft 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)
- Owning all aspects of software development: 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 in a fast-paced aerospace environment
You'll bring 5+ years of experience developing spacecraft or similar safety-critical software, a strong foundation in C++, and ideally hands-on experience with real-time embedded systems, aerospace safety standards, or end-to-end spacecraft development. Experience with F' or cFS frameworks, CCSDS telemetry/telecommand systems, Python, Rust, or familiarity with communication protocols (SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT) is a plus.
Varda was founded in 2021 by veterans from SpaceX and Blue Origin, backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. The team is headquartered in El Segundo with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
