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Salary: USD 144,020 - 184,026 / 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 its W-Series vehicles end-to-end, from payload design through heat shields and satellite buses.
As a Spacecraft Firmware Engineer II on the Flight Software team, you will own the embedded software that controls how Varda's spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout their entire mission lifecycle. This is a full-stack role spanning requirements capture, design, implementation, testing, and flight operations support.
Key responsibilities include:
- Developing reliable firmware for spacecraft control systems using C++ on bare metal, RTOS, or Linux-based embedded processors
- Owning all phases of software development from initial design through integration and validation
- Scoping projects, capturing requirements, and conducting design trades for open-ended problems
- Building highly reliable and available systems with rigorous testing, verification, and validation (V&V)
- Ensuring system quality and performance in safety-critical aerospace applications
You'll need a bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, or engineering, plus 3+ years developing spacecraft or safety-critical software. Strong experience with real-time embedded systems, C++, and hardware/software integration is essential. Preferred qualifications include aerospace safety-critical software experience, Python or Rust proficiency, and deep knowledge of computer architecture, operating systems, data structures, and networking.
Varda was founded in 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov and is backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. The leadership and team include veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharma, and Silicon Valley. The company is headquartered in El Segundo with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
