Head of Software Engineering

About the role

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure, and actionable? Then you've come to the right place! At E-Space, we're focused on bridging Earth and space with the world's most sustainable low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. We're a team of bold thinkers, ambitious leaders, and dynamic doers—disrupting NewSpace by fundamentally changing the design of legacy LEO space systems to deliver entirely new satellite capabilities at a fraction of the cost. We're intentional, unapologetically curious, and 100% committed to saving space, protecting our planet, and turning connectivity into actionable intelligence.

Technical Leadership

• Define and drive the software engineering vision, architecture, and roadmap across all space vehicle programs
• Provide hands-on technical leadership in embedded systems, BSP development (bootloaders, device drivers, RTOS bring-up), and communications software
• Own the software architecture for Command & Data Handling (C&DH) systems and mission-critical flight software
• Champion software quality, reliability, and compliance with applicable standards (DO-178B/C, NASA-STD-8739.8, or equivalent)
• Drive hardware/software co-design and integration with electrical, systems, and mechanical engineering teams

People & Organizational Leadership

• Build, grow, and retain a high-performing software engineering organization across multiple disciplines and experience levels
• Hire, mentor, and develop engineering managers and senior/staff engineers into future technical leaders
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, psychological safety, and continuous improvement
• Define career development frameworks, leveling guidelines, and performance standards for the software engineering team
• Partner cross-functionally with Program Management, Systems Engineering, and Operations to deliver on commitments

Strategy & Execution

• Own software program execution—schedules, milestones, risk identification, and mitigation across all active programs
• Represent software engineering in customer briefings, program reviews, and executive leadership meetings
• Contribute to business development and proposal efforts—defining software technical approaches and resource estimates for new pursuits
• Drive make/buy decisions, toolchain investments, and software development process improvements at scale
• Build and maintain technology partnerships with key vendors, tool suppliers, and industry partners

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, with 5+ years in engineering leadership (managing managers or leading organizations of 15+ engineers)
• Deep technical foundation in embedded systems and BSP development—bootloaders, device drivers, kernel bring-up, embedded Linux and/or RTOS (VxWorks, RTEMS, FreeRTOS)
• Proven experience leading software development for space, defense, or other safety-critical platforms
• Strong background in communications software—protocol stacks, data link layers, or spacecraft comms subsystems
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale engineering teams in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment
• Excellent executive communication skills—able to present to customers, boards, and government stakeholders
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Skills

• Active U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or above)
• Experience with spacecraft C&DH (Command & Data Handling) and flight software development
• Knowledge of CCSDS protocols and space data system standards
• Familiarity with DO-178B/C software certification and safety-critical verification frameworks
• Experience supporting DoD, NASA, or other U.S. Government space programs
• Exposure to radiation-tolerant or radiation-hardened computing environments
• Experience leading software capture strategy for large government proposals ($50M+)

Benefits

Not specified

Pay

$100,000 - $185,000 annually

Schedule

Full-time, exempt position, based out of our Saratoga office