Principal Flight Software Engineer

Your Mission

As a Principal Flight Software Engineer at True Anomaly, you will serve as a technical authority across the full spacecraft software stack, shaping architecture decisions, setting engineering standards, and driving the development of flight software from concept through on-orbit operations. You will own hard problems, influence program-level direction, and raise the technical bar for the team around you. If you are looking for a role where your decisions have real consequences in space, this is it.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and technical direction of flight software for space missions, including on-board computers, processing units, and associated systems
• Lead the design and development of robust, safety-critical embedded software with a focus on long-term maintainability and mission reliability
• Drive integration of complex GNC algorithms with flight software, collaborating closely with the GNC team to ensure correctness and performance
• Define and maintain the Command Telemetry Database (CTDB) architecture to support ground and on-orbit test and operations
• Establish and enforce software engineering standards including coding practices, design patterns, and verification and validation approaches
• Partner with the ground C2 software team to align interfaces, data flows, and operational concepts across the full system
• Architect and lead development of HITL and SITL simulation environments for subsystem and full-vehicle testing
• Design and own reusable device driver and communications protocol libraries across flight hardware platforms
• Serve as a key technical voice in design reviews, architecture discussions, and cross-functional planning

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or related field
• 15+ years of experience with embedded systems, low-level firmware architecture, and safety-critical software
• Demonstrated ownership of FSW architecture on delivered space or safety-critical programs
• Deep expertise in low-level device driver development and real-time embedded systems
• Hands-on experience with embedded RTOS platforms such as RTLinux or Azure RTOS
• Strong command of communication protocols including Ethernet, SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422, and RS485
• Expert-level proficiency in C/C++; proficiency in Python
• Ability to maintain or obtain TS/SCI clearance

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or related field
• 15+ years of FSW development experience with direct contributions to on-orbit missions
• Proven ability to define and uphold engineering standards across a software organization
• Experience leading architecture reviews and driving technical decisions across multidisciplinary teams
• Familiarity with embedded Linux and networking protocols including UDP and TCP/IP
• Fluency with embedded systems toolchains, compilers, debuggers, and IDEs
• Experience with microcontrollers, application processors, and revision control systems at scale
• Advanced debugging skills using instrumentation such as oscilloscopes and protocol analyzers
• Background in robotics, automation, motor control, or sensor fusion

Compensation

Compensation range: $180,000 - $305,000
Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Additional Requirements

• Work Location—This is an onsite role, we are seeking candidates based near Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA.
• Physical Demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.