Lead Flight Software Engineer

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo,  we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on.  Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

What You’ll Do:

The Lead Flight Software Engineer will serve as the technical leader for the development, integration, and validation of mission-critical software for Space Kinetic’s electromechanical spacecraft systems. You will own low-level and high-level software from initial architecture and requirements through qualification, flight operations, and on-orbit maintenance. This role requires deep experience with embedded real-time systems, software reliability, and spacecraft operations, along with the ability to lead a team in a fast-paced prototyping environment with an aggressive path to flight.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead flight software architecture and development for spacecraft control, autonomy, communications, telemetry, command, GNC interfaces, fault management, and safety systems.
• Define software requirements, interfaces, development roadmaps, and verification strategies in partnership with systems, electrical, GNC, test, and mission engineering teams.
• Develop reliable, deterministic, and fault-tolerant software using C/C++ or Rust in RTOS, bare-metal, or embedded Linux environments.
• Lead software and code reviews, integration, testing, and qualification activities in alignment with applicable spaceflight and mission-assurance standards.
• Support simulation, spacecraft-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and ground-software integration environments.
• Mentor software engineers, establish coding and design standards, and improve development tools, processes, and best practices.
• Support mission-readiness reviews, anomaly resolution, flight operations, and on-orbit software updates.

What It Takes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5 to 10 years of experience developing embedded or real-time software for space, aerospace, robotics, or other mission-critical systems.
• Experience leading software development across the full system lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through integration, qualification, and operations.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++, with experience using Python or similar scripting languages for automation and testing.
• Experience with RTOS, bare-metal programming, or Linux-based embedded systems.
• Strong understanding of deterministic timing, concurrency, fault tolerance, software reliability, and resource management in constrained environments.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

What We’d Love:

• Experience with flight software frameworks such as NASA cFS, F´, or custom architectures.
• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering and interface control documentation.
• Knowledge of spacecraft communication protocols such as CCSDS, SpaceWire, or MIL-STD-1553.

• The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year).