Lead Embedded Software Engineer - Optical Space Systems
About the job
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with at least 9 years of relevant experience; alternatively, a graduate degree with at least 7 years of related experience, or 13 years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
- Experience in embedded software development, system design, debugging, and integration for aerospace applications.
- Experience with real-time operating systems such as VxWorks, FreeRTOS, RTLinux, or QNX; simulators such as TSIM, VxSIM, SIMIC, or MATLAB Simulink; and programming languages including C, C++, Python, and scripting.
- Experience with embedded command and control of mechanisms such as shutters, motors, and gimbals; embedded controllers such as PIC, STM, and TMS; serial communications including CAN, TCP/IP, and RS422; and distributed messaging using TCP/UDP.
- Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.
- Lead the design and implementation of real-time embedded flight software for space-based imaging payloads.
- Integrate and test embedded flight systems at the software and hardware level.
- Apply architectural approaches to software design and implementation.
- Collaborate with other engineers to plan and develop solutions.
- Perform software development activities including design, documentation, testing, code reviews, and mission integration.
- Support development of test plans, procedures, traceability, reports, flow, and test case design and implementation.
- Contribute to requirements analysis, design, coding, unit testing, integration, and requirements verification.
- Create state charts, sequence diagrams, and other Unified Modeling Language artifacts.
- Follow standard software development processes.
- An active Top Secret or TS/SCI security clearance.
- Experience across the full system lifecycle, including requirements flow-down and allocation, design, development, test, and sell-off.
- Knowledge of model-based systems engineering tools such as Cameo and wideband or narrowband telemetry and messaging.
- Experience with Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Intel x86, ARM, and System on a Chip platforms.
- Familiarity with Versal, MicroBlaze, bare-metal development, and kernel or device drivers.
- Proficiency in DevOps practices, Jenkins, and continuous integration tools.
- Experience in space payload systems and Core Flight System or Core Flight Executive (cFS/CFE).
- Experience with Command & Control Software, Sensor Processing Systems, and optical systems or telescopes.
- Knowledge of microprocessor and microcontroller architecture and programming, and familiarity with FPGAs.
- Experience estimating large software programs for new business opportunities.
- Experience developing software for microcontrollers with interfaces such as I2C, SPI, UART, and CAN.
- Experience developing, customizing, and maintaining Board Support Packages for various hardware platforms.
- Experience integrating Board Support Package components, including bootloaders, device drivers, and operating systems.
- Experience optimizing Board Support Packages for performance, reliability, and efficiency.
- Working knowledge of image processors, visible cameras, infrared detectors, servo motors, actuators, and focus mechanisms.
- Familiarity with cybersecurity compliance tools such as Fortify Workbench and SonarQube.
- Familiarity with Open Mission Systems and Universal Command and Control Interface open architecture standards.
About the company
L3Harris Technologies provides aerospace, defense, and space systems for governments and commercial customers, including sensors, communications, propulsion, and space assets. Its products combine hardware and software into integrated systems used for missions, from tactical radios and night vision to satellite payloads and missile defense. The company blends two legacies—Harris and L3—plus an acquisition strategy to deliver quick, field-ready capabilities, with a focus on space, missiles, and resilient satellite communications. Its goal is to deliver mission-ready defense and intelligence technology at scale for national security and related customers.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Melbourne, Florida
Founded
1895
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- July 2026 backlog hit $42 billion after $7.3 billion orders and raised guidance.
- June 2026 Camden groundbreaking expands PAC-3 capacity as missile inventories stay depleted.
- August 2026 Intuitive Machines contract deepens L3Harris's SDA Tranche 3 missile-defense platform.
What critics are saying
- Christopher Kubasik's August 2026 ouster exposed governance fragility and succession disruption.
- Aerojet Rocketdyne integration and Camden expansions must execute flawlessly before 2030 demand spikes.
- Lockheed and Pentagon pricing pressure can compress margins if delivery slips or defects emerge.
What makes L3Harris Technologies unique
- PAC-3 and THAAD propulsion make L3Harris irreplaceable in U.S. missile defense.
- Space & Mission Systems plus Missile Solutions give Sam Mehta 80% revenue control.
- Roman telescope optics and NGI motors show unmatched breadth across space and interceptors.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Mental Health Support
Relocation Assistance
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 15%1 year growth
↑ 15%2 year growth
↑ 15%L3Harris stock has fallen 16% over the past month following the firing of CEO Christopher Kubasik over conduct issues, despite the company's progress in drone defence technology. The defence contractor's VAMPIRE launcher system, firing BAE Systems' APKWS rockets costing $22,000 each, has successfully shot down Russian Shahed drones worth $50,000, reversing the cost dynamics of drone warfare. The stock now trades below 16 times forward free cash flow, having underperformed defence peers by over 20 percentage points. Sam Mehta stepped in as CEO following Kubasik's departure. L3Harris also supplies solid rocket motors for advanced interceptor missiles including the Patriot system. The company's shares are down 35% from their all-time high set earlier this year.
L3Harris Technologies has secured a seven-year, $4.7 billion contract with Lockheed Martin to manufacture Patriot missile defence components. The Melbourne, Florida-based defence contractor will produce advanced two-pulse solid rocket motor propulsion systems for the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor, designed to neutralise aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic threats. This marks L3Harris's largest PAC-3 propulsion contract. The company operates a facility in Northampton, Massachusetts, through its KEO division, which produces naval technology including US periscope systems and radar systems for surface ships and submarines. To meet production demands, L3Harris broke ground on two new facilities in Camden, Arkansas, in June. The expansion supports the US Department of Defense's goal to increase annual interceptor production from approximately 600 units to 2,000 units by 2030.
L3Harris Technologies has provided key components for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which recently launched successfully. The company supplied the 2.4-metre Optical Telescope Assembly and radiation-hardened electronics for the observatory, which will operate approximately 1 million miles from Earth. The telescope is designed to survey the cosmos 1,000 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope. Once operational, it will conduct three primary surveys, including scanning roughly 12% of the entire sky in under 18 months to measure the universe's expansion rate and study supernova explosions from up to 8 billion years ago. The project represents more than a decade of collaboration between L3Harris and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. L3Harris has previously contributed technology to missions including the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars rovers.
L3Harris Technologies selected Intuitive Machines on 4 August to build 18 advanced spacecraft platforms for the Space Development Agency's Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 mission. Intuitive Machines will manufacture and deliver the satellite platforms to host L3Harris' payload technology for national security space operations. L3Harris reported Q2 2026 revenue of $5.9 billion, an 8% year-over-year increase, with net income of $600 million. The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $23.2 billion–$23.7 billion, backed by a $42.0 billion backlog. Intuitive Machines reported Q2 2026 revenue of $206 million, more than four times its prior-year level. However, the company posted an operating loss of $47 million and burned $84 million in cash during the quarter, leaving $367 million in cash. Its backlog expanded to a record $1.8 billion.
Christopher Kubasik has been ousted as CEO of L3 Harris following allegations of misconduct. According to Semafor, citing sources familiar with the matter, an investigation found he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. This marks the second time Kubasik has been forced out of a leadership position under similar circumstances. In 2012, he was set to become CEO of Lockheed Martin but resigned after an ethics investigation confirmed he had a close personal relationship with a subordinate employee. L3 Harris, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, announced Kubasik's departure on 17 August. The company said the misconduct was unrelated to financial reporting, controls, customer relationships or operational performance. Kubasik will retain some vested stock options but won't receive severance payments.