Director of Software Engineering

Who We're Looking For

Quantum Space is redefining mobility and maneuverability in space. Our high-mobility Ranger spacecraft platforms support national security, civil, and commercial missions with unmatched flexibility and propulsion capability. We build fast, iterate quickly, and deploy mission-critical systems that operate reliably in the most demanding environments. We're looking for a Director, Software Engineering to lead the development of the software systems that power our spacecraft, ground infrastructure, and mission operations.

Where You'll Make an Impact

• Lead and grow Quantum Space's software engineering organization across flight software, ground systems, mission operations software, autonomy, and supporting infrastructure
• Establish technical vision, engineering standards, and development processes that enable rapid, reliable delivery of mission-critical software
• Partner with systems engineering, spacecraft engineering, mission operations, and executive leadership to align software roadmaps with company objectives
• Drive software architecture decisions that support scalable spacecraft platforms, mission flexibility, and future product growth
• Build and mentor engineering managers, technical leads, and individual contributors while fostering a culture of technical excellence and accountability
• Oversee software development lifecycle activities including requirements management, architecture reviews, testing, verification, validation, and release management
• Ensure software products meet mission assurance, cybersecurity, reliability, and performance requirements
• Support customer engagements, technical reviews, and proposal efforts for government and commercial programs
• Champion modern development practices including DevSecOps, CI/CD, automation, cloud-native architectures, and model-based engineering where appropriate
• Collaborate across the organization to identify and remove execution bottlenecks while improving engineering effectiveness and product quality

What It Takes

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including significant leadership responsibility managing engineering teams and technical programs
• Experience building and delivering complex software systems for aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, or other mission-critical environments
• Proven success leading software organizations through periods of rapid growth and increasing technical complexity
• Strong understanding of software architecture, distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, or flight software development
• Experience managing engineering budgets, staffing plans, technical roadmaps, and organizational priorities
• Demonstrated ability to balance technical excellence with execution speed in a fast-paced development environment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with customers, executive leadership, and technical teams

Nice-to-Have Experience

• Experience developing spacecraft flight software, autonomy systems, mission planning software, or ground systems
• Familiarity with aerospace software standards, mission assurance practices, and software verification and validation processes
• Experience supporting national security, defense, or civil space programs
• Background in DevSecOps, cloud-native architectures, digital engineering, or model-based systems engineering
• Experience scaling software teams from startup through growth-stage environments
• Active U.S. Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance, or eligibility to obtain one

What You'll Get

• Leadership — Build and lead the software organization responsible for the systems that enable next-generation space mobility
• Impact — Develop software that directly supports critical national security, civil, and commercial space missions
• Growth — Shape Quantum Space's engineering culture, technical strategy, and organizational capabilities as the company scales
• Compensation — Competitive base salary, meaningful equity, and top-tier benefits including medical, dental, vision, generous leave, HSA, 401(k) matching, and equity sharing

Location

Rockville, MD

Base Salary

$220,000 to $280,000

Additional Requirements

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual per 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.