Venus Aerospace

Develops hypersonic propulsion for terrestrial transport

Embedded Software Engineer

Embedded EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeHouston, TX, USA

About the Job

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience developing embedded systems for flight-related systems.
A Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent professional experience. An advanced degree is a plus.
Strong proficiency in C and/or C++ for resource-constrained embedded systems.
Experience developing software for microcontrollers, systems-on-chip, or embedded CPUs.
Strong understanding of interrupts and interrupt handling, DMA peripherals, memory-mapped input/output, timers and watchdogs, serial communication interfaces, concurrency and synchronization, and memory management and resource constraints.
Ability to read schematics, datasheets, reference manuals, and hardware specifications and translate them into software requirements.
Experience developing real-time embedded software with deterministic timing requirements.
Familiarity with real-time operating system concepts, including scheduling, priorities, synchronization, inter-task communication, and timing analysis.
Understanding of latency, jitter, deadline misses, and failure modes in real-time systems.
Experience reasoning about system behavior when multiple asynchronous events occur simultaneously.
Experience developing software where correctness, reliability, and fault handling are critical.
Experience with fault detection and handling, redundancy or graceful degradation, watchdogs and health monitoring, startup and self-test behavior, robust state-machine design, and safe handling of unexpected inputs and hardware faults.
Understanding the difference between nominal behavior and behavior during degraded or failed hardware/software conditions.
Experience with Weapons Open Systems Architecture (WOSA) and Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA).
Experience writing unit and integration tests.
Ability to create test cases from software requirements.
Familiarity with code coverage and other objective measures of verification.
Ability to diagnose problems spanning the software/hardware boundary.
Comfort with Git and modern code-review workflows, continuous integration and continuous delivery for embedded systems, static analysis and compiler diagnostics, automated regression testing, requirements tracking and traceability, issue tracking and defect analysis, peer reviews of code and design, and writing clear technical documentation.
Ability to collaborate closely with Avionics, Guidance, Navigation and Control, Propulsion, Test, and Ground Software engineers.
Ability to translate system-level requirements into software architecture and implementation.
Understanding of interfaces between flight software and sensors, actuators, communications systems, and other onboard computers.
Ability to participate in system architecture and interface definition.
Ability to diagnose problems originating in hardware, firmware, software, configuration, or integration.
Must be able to meet U.S. export-control/ITAR requirements as a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or person eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Responsibilities

Develop flight software for flight computers and avionics systems.
Design, implement, and integrate real-time embedded software.
Translate system and hardware requirements into robust, maintainable, and testable software.
Bring up, debug, and integrate embedded systems across the hardware/software boundary.
Develop software with the rigor required for mission-critical aerospace systems, including fault handling, verification, and configuration management.
Develop automated unit, integration, and hardware-in-the-loop testing to verify flight software.
Collaborate with Avionics, Guidance, Navigation and Control, Test, Ground Software, and Quality Assurance engineers to identify and solve system-level problems.
Help establish embedded software architecture, development processes, tools, and engineering practices.
Own projects from initial concept through implementation, integration, and flight readiness.
As the team expands, mentor engineers and lead the Embedded Software organization.

Desired Qualifications

Experience developing or integrating embedded software within modular weapons, missiles, avionics, or other mission-critical architectures.
Familiarity with defensive programming and failure containment.
Experience interfacing with or developing code for field-programmable gate arrays.
Experience with MIL-STD-1553, RS-422, and RS-485.
Experience complying with DO-178C or MIL-STD-882E standards.
Thrust Vector Control experience.
Experience working with Inertial Measurement Units.
Experience working with Global Positioning System chips.
Experience with SpaceWire or Time-Triggered Ethernet.
Experience with Model-in-the-Loop, Software-in-the-Loop, and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing environments and best practices.
Experience debugging software using JTAG/SWD or equivalent debugging interfaces, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, serial/network interfaces, and embedded tracing/logging tools.
Data acquisition fundamentals for voltage, current, and temperature measurements.
Experience developing automated test infrastructure.
Experience with GitLab pipelines, Atlassian tools such as Jira and Confluence, or systems engineering practices.
Experience in a development environment where changes need to be reviewable, reproducible, and traceable.

Who We Are:
Venus Aerospace is revolutionizing rocket engine propulsion. With the first generational leap in rocket engine technology since Apollo, our proprietary Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine and Venus Detonation Ramjets deliver historic efficiency and performance across aerospace applications. We are building the next generation of propulsion platforms that enable breakthrough capabilities in space, defense, and commercial high-speed flight. Our team thrives on solving the toughest engineering challenges and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in aerospace. At Venus, we’re looking for bold engineers and innovators who want to make history and redefine the future of propulsion.

The Role: Embedded Software Engineer We are seeking a talented Embedded Software Engineer to help develop the flight software that powers our next-generation avionics and flight computer systems. You’ll join a small, multidisciplinary Software team that currently spans embedded systems, ground software, hardware test and data acquisition, HIL/V&V, and internal enterprise software. As an early member of our growing Embedded Software team, you’ll have significant ownership in shaping the architecture, processes, and technical direction of this area. As the company grows, this role offers the opportunity to take on technical and people leadership and help build out the Embedded Software organization.

What You'll Get To Do

Develop Flight Software

Design, implement, and integrate real-time embedded software for our flight computers and avionics systems.

Translate system and hardware requirements into robust, maintainable, and testable software.

Work across the hardware/software boundary to bring up, debug, and integrate embedded systems.

Build for Reliability:

Develop software with the rigor required for mission-critical aerospace systems, including fault handling, verification, and configuration management.

Develop automated unit, integration, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing to verify flight software.

Collaborate with Avionics, GNC, Test, Ground Software, and QA engineers to identify and solve complex system-level problems.

Shape the Embedded Team:

Help establish our embedded software architecture, development processes, tools, and engineering practices.

Take ownership of projects from initial concept through implementation, integration, and flight readiness.

Grow with the company and, as the team expands, have the opportunity to mentor engineers and lead the Embedded Software organization.

What You Have

Experience-Level:

Software engineer with 5+ years’ experience developing embedded systems for flight-related systems.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related engineering discipline. Advanced degree a plus. Equivalent professional experience may be considered.

Embedded Software Fundamentals:

Strong proficiency in C and/or C++ for resource-constrained embedded systems.
Experience developing software for microcontrollers, SoCs, or embedded CPUs.
Strong understanding of embedded concepts:
Interrupts and interrupt handling
DMA peripherals
Memory-mapped I/O
Timers and watchdogs
Serial communication interfaces
Concurrency and synchronization
Memory management and resource constraints
Ability to read schematics, datasheets, reference manuals, and hardware specifications and translate them into software requirements.

Real-time Systems:

Experience developing real-time embedded software with deterministic timing requirements
Familiarity with RTOS concepts, such as scheduling, priorities, synchronization, inter-task communication, and timing analysis.
Understanding of latency, jitter, deadline misses, and failure modes in real-time systems.
Experience reasoning about system behavior when multiple asynchronous events occur simultaneously.

Safety/Reliability-Critical Aerospace Software:

Experience developing software where correctness, reliability, and fault handling are critical.
Experience with:
Fault detection and handling
Redundancy or graceful degradation
Watchdogs and health monitoring
Startup/self-test behavior
Robust state-machine design
Safe handling of unexpected inputs and hardware faults
Understanding of the difference between nominal behavior and behavior during degraded or failed hardware/software conditions.
Experience with Weapons Open Systems Architecture (WOSA) and Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA).

Verification and Testing:

Experience writing unit & integration tests
Ability to create test cases from software requirements.
Familiarity with code coverage and other objective measures of verification.
Ability to diagnose problems spanning the SW/HW boundary.

Software Engineering Practices:

Good candidates should be comfortable with:
GIT and modern code-review workflows
CI/CD for embedded systems
Static analysis and compiler diagnostics
Automated regression testing
Requirements tracking and traceability
Issue tracking and defect analysis
Peer reviews of both code and design
Writing clear technical documentation

Systems-Level Thinking:

Collaborate closely with Avionics, GNC, Propulsion, Test, and Ground Software engineers
Translate system-level requirements into software architecture and implementation
Understand interfaces between flight software and sensors, actuators, communications systems, and other onboard computers.
Participate in system architecture and interface definition
Diagnose problems that may originate in hardware, firmware, software, configuration, or integration.

What Will Set You Apart

Experience developing or integrating embedded software within modular weapons, missiles, avionics, or other mission-critical architecture.

Familiarity with defensive programming and failure containment.

Experience interfacing/developing code for FPGAs

MIL-STD-1553, RS-422, and RS-485 experience

Experience with compliance to DO-178C or MIL-STD-882E standards

Thrust Vector Control (TVC) experience

Experience working with Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)

Experience working with Global Positioning System (GPS) chips

SpaceWire / Time-Triggered Ethernet experience

Experience with Model-in-the-Loop (MIL), Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing environments and best practices

Experience debugging software using: JTAG/SWD or equivalent debugging interfaces, Logic Analyzers, Oscilloscopes, Serial/Network interfaces, Embedded tracing/logging tools

DAQ fundamentals for voltage, current, and temperature measurements

Experience developing automated test infrastructure.

Experience with GitLab pipelines, Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence), or systems engineering practices.

Experience working in a development environment where changes need to be reviewable, reproducible, and traceable.

Location: On-site in Houston, TX

Benefits: Venus Aerospace employee benefits include a 401(k) plan, stock options, and medical benefits, including dental and vision. We have a flex-Friday flexible schedule, unlimited PTO, and receive professional development opportunities.

ITAR Requirements

This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be able to meet ITAR requirements (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State). You can learn more about ITARhere.

Venus Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation, please email [email protected] or call (281) 203-0027.This email and phone number were created exclusively to assist job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Messages or any other purposes, such as following up on an application, third party staffing agencies, website technical issues, or any other issues not related to a disability, will not receive a response. Messages will be returned within five business days.

For additional information about our Equal Opportunity Employment Policy, please visit our EEOP page.

About the Company

Venus Aerospace

Develops hypersonic propulsion for terrestrial transport

Venus Aerospace focuses on making hypersonic travel possible for terrestrial use, aiming to enable one-hour global transport. The core product is a cost-effective hypersonic engine designed to power aircraft capable of extremely high speeds. The engine technology is developed to be sold or licensed to aircraft manufacturers or airline operators, generating revenue through B2B sales. Unlike others in the field, Venus emphasizes affordability and practicality, backed by a team with strong rocket science and engineering backgrounds. The goal is to shorten travel times globally while improving safety and transforming how people and goods move around the world.

Company size: 51-200
Company stage: Series B
Total funding: $130.7M
Headquarters: Houston, TX
Founded: 2020

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