Senior Flight Software Engineer

About the role

Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge.

For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles.

Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a member of the Flight Software team, you will design, develop, and own the software driving the autonomous operation of Apex’s satellite buses. You will be responsible for developing mission critical systems that operate reliably 24/7, ensuring that Apex’s spacecraft continue to operate in all scenarios.

In this role, you will work closely with both internal teams and external customers, aligning your solutions with company objectives and user requirements. We are looking for motivated engineers who are eager to solve complex problems with a focus on practicality and scalability, and who thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities:

- Design, implement and own mission critical software applications for satellite systems.

- Support commissioning of spacecraft during launch and early operations and ensure software systems remain functional during critical operations.

- Own spacecraft software solutions through the full lifecycle from initial design to deployment.

- Perform unit testing, integration testing, and system-level testing of software components, identifying and resolving any defects or issues.

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to baseline product requirements and technical roadmaps.

Requirements:

- U.S. Person status is required as this position needs to access export controlled data.

- 8+ years of total flight software experience

- Bachelor’s degree in CS, EE or equivalent.

- Strong proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C++, Rust.

- Experience with real time systems running on distributed hardware.

- Knowledge of embedded Linux operating systems, system administration and creating Linux distributions (Yocto).

- Familiarity with satellite systems and protocols, such as CCSDS, and ECSS.

- Experience with software integration, testing, and validation for real-time and distributed systems.

- Familiarity with network protocols (TCP/IP, UDP), secure communication systems, Protobuf and encryption.