Senior Satellite Software Engineer

Company: Affinity Executive Search
Location: Washington
Posted on: March 26, 2025

Job Description:

Job description:Senior Satellite Flight Software Engineer (Rust) - Job Order 3477Location: Seven Corners, VA 22044Compensation: negotiablePermanent Residents and US citizens onlyStrong C++ and Rust experienceStock optionsRelocation allowance of up to $5KLocated in the northern Virginia, Washington, DC metro area, my client is a startup with patented communications technology that enables text messaging anywhere in the world with direct satellite to mobile device communications which does not require special dedicated receivers to operate, just your standard mobile device. Series B funding arrives in March 2025.Job Summary:The Senior Satellite Flight Software Engineer will be developing a variety of flight software applications for commanding and controlling our satellites. This includes developing our satellite command and data handling system software, in addition to supporting software for both its primary (payload) and secondary radio communications functions. The software will initially be tested on the satellite prototype in a lab environment ("flatsat") that simulates orbit operations. The software engineer will also be responsible for implementing methods of data acquisition to ensure successful testing, verification, and validation.We build spacecraft fast! So, the perfect candidate for this role will have significant previous experience designing, developing, and testing software on rapid timelines. We are looking for engineers that enjoy a challenge and have a track record of creative thinking to solve unconventional problems.Core Responsibilities:You will be responsible for design, development, and testing of all spacecraft flight software including that for our spacecraft Command & Data Handling, Power, Communications, and Guidance, Navigation, & Control Systems. This includes:

• Developing Linux applications that implement the major functions required by our satellite flight system.
• Writing this software in Rust targeting an embedded Linux environment.
• Working in a small, agile team to manage the software development lifecycle (requirements definition, design, implementation, test, and verification) for individual projects.
• Helping to create policies and best practices for the flight software team's usage of the Rust programming language.
• Creating embedded software to interact with satellite devices/electronics using CAN, I2C, SPI, RS-422, RS-485, etc. protocols.
• Implementing inter-application coordination and communications using standard inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms available in Linux.
• Developing test software to support unit, integration, and system testing of all flight software functions.Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Software, Electrical, Aerospace, or in a related engineering field.
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Advanced knowledge of the Rust programming language.
• Demonstrated experience working with multiple programming languages (C, C++, Python, Rust), operating systems, and development environments.
• Demonstrated experience with all phases of the software development life cycle.
• Experience with developing software to interact with hardware devices.
• Experience with inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms.
• Experience with the following: Linux, Git, CI/CD.
• US Citizenship required.
• Helpful Qualifications:
• Experience developing and testing software for SmallSats / CubeSats.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop integration and testing.
• Experience with the following: Protocol Buffers, ZeroMQ, gRPC.Why is This a Great Opportunity:This is a ground-floor opportunity with a well-funded startup involved in the satellite communications business. They have a unique patented technology and stock will be part of the offer.
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Keywords: Affinity Executive Search, Washington DC , Senior Satellite Software Engineer, IT / Software / Systems , Washington, DC