Spacecraft Avionics Lead Engineer

Spacecraft Avionics Lead Engineer

San Francisco Bay Area

A pioneering space company developing next-gen orbital mobility solutions is hiring an Avionics and Software Lead to own the full stack of spacecraft avionics and flight software for a new Spacecraft Development.

This is a rare opportunity to architect, build, and validate a complete flight system from scratch, working on cutting-edge propulsion-enabled platforms designed for responsive orbital manoeuvring.

In this role, you'll define the avionics architecture, lead integration of radiation-tolerant electronics, and drive flight software development—including GNC algorithms, EPS design, and hardware-in-the-loop testing. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering leads to ensure spacecraft safety, autonomy, and reliability from concept through CDR.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone excited by the challenge of building high-performance spaceflight systems in a rapid development environment.

What You ll Be Doing

• Own the full avionics and flight software architecture through critical design review (CDR)

• Select and integrate COTS radiation-tolerant components for power, compute, and data handling

• Lead development of flight and ground software (telemetry, real-time control, fault management)

• Define and implement guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms

• Design electrical power systems (EPS), data bus architecture, and flight harnessing

• Build and operate a flat-sat HIL testbed for integration and validation

• Develop ICDs and maintain firmware/software configuration processes

• Support subsystem integration and testing campaigns

• Conduct FMEA and reliability analyses

• Lead subsystem design reviews and contribute to broader mission engineering milestones

What You ll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in software engineering, electrical engineering, or similar

• 8+ years of experience developing avionics or flight software for spacecraft or other high-reliability systems

• Strong background in embedded systems, spacecraft autonomy, or GNC

• Proficiency in C/C++ or Rust;
Python for scripting/testing

• Experience with radiation-hardened processors and electronics (Microchip, Xilinx, etc.)

• Familiarity with CAN, Space Wire, RS-422, and other bus protocols

• HIL integration experience and knowledge of EMI/EMC and power distribution design principles

• U.S. Person (citizenship or permanent residency) required

Desirable Experience

• Autonomy frameworks or fault-tolerant flight software

• Space-rated EPS or battery management systems

• Responsive space operations or in-space logistics

• Previous experience in a startup or fast-paced R&D environment

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