Lead Flight Software Engineer

As a Lead Flight Software Engineer for Special Programs at Impulse Space, you will lead the design, development, integration, and operation of the software that powers some of the most agile delta-V spacecraft under development. You will work closely with GNC, avionics, propulsion, systems, and mission operations teams to deliver high-reliability software for responsive space missions., * Lead the design, implementation, integration, and verification of flight software for high-performance space vehicles produced at scale.

• Architect real-time flight software systems for responsive spacecraft, including command and telemetry, mission sequencing, autonomy, and fault management.
• Develop and integrate software for closed-loop control of propulsion, attitude control, and other time-critical vehicle systems.
• Develop detection and mitigation algorithms for anomalies such as sensor failures, actuator malfunctions, or radiation-induced faults.
• Mentor and provide technical direction to a team of flight software engineers.
• Support mission operations and troubleshoot real-time issues during ground integration, environmental testing, and on-orbit operations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of professional experience developing C/C++ code for embedded systems in aerospace, with at least 1 year in a technical leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience of computer architecture, operating systems, deterministic real-time execution, and embedded networking.
• Experience with Embedded Linux in mission-critical environments.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Active Top Secret Clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Proven track record delivering flight software for spacecraft, launch vehicles, upper stages, OTVs, responsive spacecraft, or other high-performance aerospace systems.
• Experience with flight software frameworks, middleware, distributed software architectures, or publish/subscribe messaging patterns for mission-critical embedded systems.
• Participation in successful integration, testing, launch, and mission operations of a space vehicle.
• Experience collaborating with external suppliers, primes, or government customers to integrate software and hardware components across vehicle, payload, or mission systems.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to lead technical discussions and guide design trade studies.

Additional Information:

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.