Sr Director NG Software Engineering

About the role

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-disciplinary team of software engineers spanning embedded flight software, chassis/test software, and ground systems
• Define and execute the software engineering roadmap aligned with New Glenn program milestones, launch schedules, and long-term vehicle reusability goals
• Own the full software development lifecycle — from requirements and architecture through integration, verification, and flight certification
• Drive engineering excellence through the adoption of rigorous software development processes, coding standards, and verification & validation methodologies appropriate for safety-critical aerospace systems
• Champion a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement across all software domains
• Partner with avionics, systems engineering, and test operations teams to ensure seamless hardware/software integration
• Collaborate with program management to develop accurate schedules, manage technical risk, and communicate software status to senior leadership and stakeholders
• Lead architectural decisions for embedded flight software systems including flight computers, sensor interfaces, and communication
• Oversee development and maintenance of a chassis test software platform used in qualification and acceptance testing of avionics hardware
• Recruit, hire, and retain top-tier software engineering talent; build organizational capacity to meet program growth demands
• Establish metrics and KPIs to track software quality, team productivity, and schedule performance
• Manage departmental budgets and resource allocation across multiple concurrent work streams

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field
• 15+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles managing large engineering teams
• Demonstrated experience delivering embedded software for safety-critical or flight-critical systems (aerospace, defense, or similar regulated domains)
• Strong understanding of real-time operating systems (RTOS), embedded C/C++, and hardware/software integration
• Experience leading software verification and validation activities, including requirements traceability, unit testing, integration testing, and software qualification
• Prior experience at a launch vehicle manufacturer, defense prime contractor, or commercial space company

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant engineering or computer science discipline
• Experience with launch vehicle, spacecraft, or missile systems software development
• Familiarity with DO-178C, NASA-STD-8739.8, or similar software safety and quality standards
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and model-based software development tools (e.g., Simulink/autocoding)
• Familiarity with vehicle integration and test operations and associated test software architectures

Skills

• Deep technical depth in software engineering
• Leadership and mentoring skills
• Experience in software development for safety-critical systems
• Ability to manage cross-functional programs and balance competing priorities
• Strong communication and presentation skills

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
• Education Support Program
• Stock Options
• Paid Time Off

Pay

Base Pay Range For WA applicants is $272,109.00 - $380,951.55

Schedule

Not specified