Senior Flight Software Engineer

Location

Irvine HQ

Full time

On-site

Flight Software

• $140K – $200K

Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks.

At Turion Space, we’re building spacecraft to secure Earth and expand humanity’s reach beyond it. Our missions span national security, in-space servicing, and orbital debris removal and flight software is the heartbeat of everything we launch.

We’re looking for a Senior Flight Software Engineer to design, build, and test embedded systems that directly control spacecraft behavior and performance. You’ll work cross-functionally across hardware, systems, and mission ops to develop software that’s robust, real‑time, and ready for space.

Prior aerospace experience isn’t required. We’re looking for passionate software engineers who want to solve hard problems and make an impact.

• Own the full lifecycle of spacecraft flight software—from early architecture through development, test, and on‑orbit operations.
• Lead technical design and implementation of high‑reliability embedded systems for spacecraft command and control, autonomy, and fault tolerance.
• Develop simulation environments, test harnesses, and HIL setups to validate software in mission‑representative conditions.
• Drive root‑cause analysis and troubleshooting efforts for system‑level software and hardware interactions across development and flight.
• Collaborate closely with hardware, systems, avionics, and mission ops teams to ensure end‑to‑end integration and performance.
• Author and maintain critical documentation including software architecture docs, ICDs, verification plans, and test results.
• Influence and improve team‑wide software development practices, tooling, and design patterns.
• Mentor junior engineers and help shape the flight software team’s culture, technical standards, and review processes.

• 5 Years of experience in embedded software development, including full lifecycle ownership from design to test and deployment
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ in a Linux or embedded environment
• Demonstrated experience writing high‑reliability software that interfaces with hardware in real‑time systems
• Proven ability to lead projects or technical domains independently, with minimal oversight
• The ability to obtain and maintain an active DOD Secret or Top Secret security clearance

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• 7 years of experience developing embedded software for spacecraft, aerospace systems, robotics, or autonomous vehicles
• Deep familiarity with:
  • Embedded Linux (e.g. Yocto, Buildroot), RTOS, file systems, and bootloaders
  • Spacecraft protocols and standards: CCSDS, CAN, SPI, Ethernet/IP
  • Software frameworks like NASA cFS, F Prime (F’), or similar architectures
  • CI/CD tools and version control systems (e.g. Git, Jenkins)
  • Simulation, test automation, and HIL environments (GTest, PyTest, custom frameworks)
• Experience in fault‑tolerant architectures, real‑time state machines, or autonomous control logic
• Prior technical leadership or mentorship experience
• An active DOD Secret or Top Secret Clearance

• A passion for building in small, fast‑moving teams
• Willingness to work extended hours or weekends to meet mission‑critical deadlines

This position may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package designed to support the well‑being and professional growth of our…