Staff Embedded Software Engineer
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead and mentor a team of junior software engineers, providing guidance and tasking.
- Develop and maintain embedded software for satellite modules.
- Collaborate with cross‑functional engineering teams to define and refine software requirements.
- Architect, design, develop, and maintain reliable, fault‑tolerant embedded software.
- Serve as the technical lead for multiple satellite programs.
- Create and maintain unit tests using Test Driven Development methodologies.
- Develop and automate system‑level tests.
- Build software for specialized payloads, including imagers, image processors, communication devices, and astronomical science instruments.
- Integrate and test software in simulation, flight‑replica, flight‑vehicle, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments.
- Represent Terran Orbital in technical working groups and customer interactions.
- Support occasional travel (up to 10%) to customer or vendor sites for design reviews and collaborative technical work.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- 8+ years of experience developing C/C++ applications for embedded, high‑performance, or mission‑critical systems.
- Experience with bare‑metal and/or RTOS‑based designs (FreeRTOS, internal schedulers, embedded Linux, etc.).
- Experience with electronic test equipment and embedded debug tools (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, hardware debuggers).
- Deep understanding of microcontroller architectures, peripheral subsystems, and low‑level interface design across multiple MCU families.
- Experience with serial communication protocols (CAN, RS‑232/422/485, I2C, SPI, PCI).
- Highly motivated, self‑starting, responsible, thorough, and able to perform duties autonomously without supervision.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- U.S. Person or lawful permanent resident to comply with U.S. government space technology export regulations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Experience with ARM and Texas Instruments embedded platforms.
- Experience using test equipment such as oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers.
- Familiarity with Linux and GNU toolchains (make, GCC, GDB).
- Experience with scripting languages such as Bash and Python.
- Knowledge of build pipelines, deployment processes, and on‑target testing.
- Familiarity with SOLID software design principles.
Benefits
- 100% Company‑paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
- 401(k) Match
- Flexible Time Off (FTO)
- Education Reimbursement
- Competitive Paid Parental Leave
Pay
Salary Range: $160,000 USD – $190,000 USD
About Terran Orbital
Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end‑to‑end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on‑orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com.
Physical Demands
An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending, reaching, and walking. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. This position is generally sedentary, with substantial computer usage.
Work Environment
The job operates in a professional office environment but in a manufacturing company. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and scanners.