Flight Software Engineer
Red Canyon Engineering & Software · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $100,000 / year
- United States
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Flight Software Engineer
Red Canyon Engineering & Software · United States
Sam Bennett
Hiring Manager · h•••••@jobs.lever.co
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Subject: Interested in the Flight Software Engineer role at Red Canyon Engineering & Software
Hi Sam — I came across the Flight Software Engineer opening and wanted to reach out directly. I've spent the last few years doing exactly this kind of work, and Red Canyon Engineering & Software stood out because…
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Job highlights
- Develop and test spacecraft flight software.
- Full lifecycle flight software development involvement.
- Contribute to mission concepts and simulations.
- Utilize C/C++ and embedded systems expertise.
- Work with advanced aerospace hardware.
About the role
Flight Software Engineer
We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative software engineer to develop and test spacecraft flight software. We're looking for candidates who can bring exceptional programming skills and experience in embedded software development and testing to the team.
Position Responsibilities
The Software Engineer's primary responsibility will be contributing to the development and testing of our satellite flight software. This engineer will be involved in the full lifecycle of flight software development, from requirements definition through operations. However, because we are a small team where each person takes on many roles, this engineer will also contribute to mission concept development, in-house modeling and simulation capabilities, and proposal writing. Being at the cutting edge of space technology, we need someone who is eager to learn, grow, and take on new and potentially unfamiliar challenges. There is no shortage of fascinating problems to solve.
The Software Engineer will provide autonomous support of complex assignments, under the leadership of the Software Team Lead and Software Engineering Manager. The Software Engineer will have project and subject matter responsibility and authority.
Flight Software (45%)
- Upgrade existing flight software for new missions.
- Contribute to the development of new satellite flight software for our satellite platforms.
- Develop in-house tools to analyze flight software performance and assess its compatibility with new mission and conops.
- Develop and execute flight software verification and validation tests at the unit, module, subsystem, and platform level.
- Work with manufacturing engineers to support installation onto the hardware-in-the-loop test environments and eventual flight hardware.
- Participate in anomaly resolution activities and patch existing flight software.
- Develop, integrate, and test flight software applications using spacecraft flight software frameworks such as NASA's Core Flight System (cFS).
- Contribute to the design, integration, and maintenance of reusable flight software components, messaging architectures, and command and telemetry interfaces.
- Support software integration activities across spacecraft subsystems, flight computers, payloads, and ground systems.
Software Integration and Test (45%)
- Develop and execute FSW verifications tests using both proprietary satellite digital twin software and a Hardware in the Loop (HIL) FlatSat.
- Establish and document test methodologies and descriptions to test compliance with customer-based requirements.
- Develop and implement software and tools for ground support equipment to test and validate flight software.
- Contribute to document management, including versioning, bug reporting, and test plan documentation.
- Oversee and conduct official validation tests.
- Develop and execute integration and verification testing of cFS-based flight software within simulation, FlatSat, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) environments.
- Support end-to-end validation of command, telemetry, fault management, and autonomous spacecraft operations software.
Systems Modeling (5%)
- Contribute to the development of systems- and mission-level modeling and simulation tools.
- Develop software models of payloads for ground testing.
- Support development of software model of satellite platform, particularly ensuring accurate representation of the flight software.
Additional Responsibilities (5%)
- Support working groups, both internal and with customers and/or vendors.
- Support proposal writing, new business.
- Assess the software impacts of new hardware, conops, and missions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing spacecraft flight software (FSW) for satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, or autonomous aerospace systems.
- Experience with NASA Core Flight System (cFS) and/or other spacecraft flight software architectures.
- Experience with real-time operating systems such as RTEMS, VxWorks, Integrity, or embedded Linux.
- Familiarity with spacecraft command and telemetry systems, CCSDS protocols, fault management, and onboard autonomy.
- Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), FlatSat, digital twin, or spacecraft integration and test environments.
- Experience supporting spacecraft mission operations, anomaly resolution, and on-orbit software maintenance.
Education
Qualified Experience / Skills / Training:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas.
Experience
- A minimum of 3 years with a Bachelor's degree, or 1 year with a Master's degree.
- Proven track-record of working with aerospace hardware and/or software systems, starting from conceptual designs and tradeoffs through detailed design, development, manufacture, integration, test, deployment, and operations.
Knowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities
- Insatiable curiosity and a demonstrated ability to learn and work independently.
- Proficiency in C/C++.
- Expertise in one or more of the following:
- Embedded software development and testing.
- Device driver development and testing of software/hardware interfaces.
- Real-time operating systems programming, debugging, and testing.
- Cybersecurity.
- GNC algorithms design, analysis, testing, and implementation.
- Functional validation of embedded software on hardware.
- Software safety assurance.
- Network topology and configuration.
- Simulators: numerical, emulator, and hardware in the loop.
- Software requirements and configuration management.
Eligibility
- US Citizenship.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
Key skills/competency
- Flight Software Engineer
- Embedded Software Development
- Software Testing
- C/C++
- Real-time Operating Systems
- NASA Core Flight System (cFS)
- Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)
- Systems Modeling
- Aerospace Software
- Satellite Software
Skills & topics
- Flight Software Engineer
- Embedded Software
- Software Development
- C/C++
- Aerospace
- Spacecraft
- Satellite
- Real-time Systems
- Testing
- HIL
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight C/C++ proficiency, embedded systems experience, and flight software projects relevant to aerospace.
- Showcase your skills: Emphasize experience with NASA cFS, real-time OS, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing.
- Demonstrate curiosity: Express your eagerness to learn and tackle new challenges in space technology.
- Prepare for technical questions: Be ready to discuss embedded development, testing methodologies, and aerospace systems.
- Highlight US Citizenship: Ensure this eligibility requirement is clearly met and stated.
Technical preparation
Master C/C++ for embedded systems.,Study NASA cFS and real-time OS.,Practice Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation.,Understand spacecraft command and telemetry.
Behavioral questions
Describe a complex problem you solved.,How do you handle unfamiliar challenges?,Give an example of independent learning.,How do you prioritize tasks?
Prefer to apply the usual way?
Not recommended alone — most applicants never hear back. Email the hiring manager first.
Frequently asked questions
- What specific experience is most valued for the Flight Software Engineer role at Red Canyon Engineering & Software?
- Red Canyon Engineering & Software highly values experience in developing spacecraft flight software (FSW) for satellites, spacecraft, or autonomous aerospace systems. Familiarity with NASA's Core Flight System (cFS), real-time operating systems (like RTEMS or VxWorks), and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) environments are particularly sought after. A proven track record in the full lifecycle of aerospace hardware and software systems is also a significant plus.
- What programming languages are essential for the Flight Software Engineer position at Red Canyon Engineering & Software?
- Proficiency in C/C++ is essential for this Flight Software Engineer role. Expertise in these languages is critical for developing and testing embedded software, real-time operating systems, and spacecraft flight software applications.
- Does Red Canyon Engineering & Software use AI in their hiring process for Flight Software Engineers?
- Yes, Red Canyon Engineering & Software may use AI tools to assist in parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications and analyzing resumes. However, they emphasize that these tools support their recruitment team and do not replace human judgment in the final hiring decisions.
- What is the minimum educational requirement for the Flight Software Engineer job?
- A Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or a related scientific area is required for the Flight Software Engineer position. Depending on the degree, a minimum of 1-3 years of relevant experience is also necessary.
- Are there any specific US work authorization requirements for this Flight Software Engineer role?
- Yes, US Citizenship is a strict requirement for this Flight Software Engineer position at Red Canyon Engineering & Software.
- What kind of testing environments will a Flight Software Engineer work with at Red Canyon Engineering & Software?
- A Flight Software Engineer at Red Canyon Engineering & Software will work with various testing environments, including Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) systems, FlatSats, digital twin software, and real-time simulation environments. This includes unit, module, subsystem, and platform-level testing.