Spacecraft Avionics Lead Engineer
San Francisco Bay Area
A pioneering space company developing next-gen orbital mobility solutions is hiring an Avionics and Software Lead to own the full stack of spacecraft avionics and flight software for a new Spacecraft Development.
This is a rare opportunity to architect, build, and validate a complete flight system from scratch, working on cutting-edge propulsion-enabled platforms designed for responsive orbital manoeuvring.
In this role, you'll define the avionics architecture, lead integration of radiation-tolerant electronics, and drive flight software development—including GNC algorithms, EPS design, and hardware-in-the-loop testing. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering leads to ensure spacecraft safety, autonomy, and reliability from concept through CDR.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone excited by the challenge of building high-performance spaceflight systems in a rapid development environment .
What You'll Be Doing :
- Own the full avionics and flight software architecture through critical design review (CDR)
- Select and integrate COTS radiation-tolerant components for power, compute, and data handling
- Lead development of flight and ground software (telemetry, real-time control, fault management)
- Define and implement guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms
- Design electrical power systems (EPS), data bus architecture, and flight harnessing
- Build and operate a flat-sat HIL testbed for integration and validation
- Develop ICDs and maintain firmware / software configuration processes
- Support subsystem integration and testing campaigns
- Conduct FMEA and reliability analyses
- Lead subsystem design reviews and contribute to broader mission engineering milestones
What You'll Need :
Bachelor’s degree in software engineering, electrical engineering, or similar8+ years of experience developing avionics or flight software for spacecraft or other high-reliability systemsStrong background in embedded systems, spacecraft autonomy, or GNCProficiency in C / C++ or Rust; Python for scripting / testingExperience with radiation-hardened processors and electronics (Microchip, Xilinx, etc.)Familiarity with CAN, SpaceWire, RS-422, and other bus protocolsHIL integration experience and knowledge of EMI / EMC and power distribution design principlesU.S. Person (citizenship or permanent residency) requiredDesirable Experience :
Autonomy frameworks or fault-tolerant flight softwareSpace-rated EPS or battery management systemsResponsive space operations or in-space logisticsPrevious experience in a startup or fast-paced R&D environment