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Northwood Space is a modern space infrastructure company building a global network of phased array ground stations to enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions in national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. The company designs, builds, and rapidly deploys vertically integrated systems that power next-generation space missions.
As a Telecommunications Software Engineer, you will develop the software that handles, processes, and delivers mission data across Northwood's satellite ground network. You will own critical components of the communications data path—from protocol implementation and real-time stream processing through integration testing and operational deployment.
Key responsibilities include designing and maintaining software for ingesting, processing, and routing telemetry, tracking, and command data; implementing and validating CCSDS protocols (space packets, transfer frames, synchronization, data encapsulation); developing high-performance data pipelines connecting software-defined radios, ground-station infrastructure, and customer endpoints; building tooling for packet parsing, frame validation, buffering, recording, replay, monitoring, and debugging; translating customer mission requirements into configurable data-handling workflows; collaborating with DSP and FPGA engineers on physical-layer interfaces; testing communications workflows using simulated, hardware-in-the-loop, and live satellite data; and owning software through development, deployment, operational validation, and ongoing mission support.
Required qualifications: Bachelor's degree with 2–5+ years of relevant experience (or Master's with 1–4+ years) in computer science, electrical engineering, telecommunications, or related field; strong programming skills in systems-oriented languages (Rust, C++, Go); experience developing software for networking, telecommunications, real-time data processing, or distributed systems; solid understanding of network protocols, binary data formats, serialization, buffering, and asynchronous data processing; experience building and debugging software across system boundaries; demonstrated ownership of a production software system from design through deployment and operational use.
Preferred qualifications include experience with CCSDS standards (Space Packet Protocol, TM, TC, AOS transfer frames), satellite telemetry and command systems, CCSDS File Delivery Protocol, Space Link Extension services, high-throughput/low-latency/fault-tolerant data pipelines, TCP/UDP/multicast/gRPC/WebSockets/message-oriented architectures, SDR/modem/FPGA integration, and packet capture/protocol analysis/hardware-in-the-loop testing.
Note: U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency required due to ITAR compliance for space technology export regulations.
