Space Kinetic Corp. · 10 hours ago
Principal Flight Software Engineer
El Segundo, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff
10+ years expSpace Kinetic Corp. is dedicated to addressing the United States’ most critical national security priorities by developing transformative capabilities in space technologies. The Principal Flight Software Engineer will design, implement, and test flight software systems for space applications, leading the development of mission-critical software that enables spacecraft control, autonomy, communication, and safety.
AerospaceLogisticsRoboticsTransportation
No H1B
Security Clearance RequiredU.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Lead the design and development of space Kinetic flight software architecture, including guidance, navigation, control (GNC), telemetry, command, and fault management systems
Define software requirements, interfaces, and verification strategies in coordination with systems, electrical, and mission engineering teams
Develop robust, real-time, and fault-tolerant software using C/C++ and/or Rust in embedded or RTOS environments
Perform software design reviews, code reviews, and verification activities to ensure safety, reliability, and performance compliance with space flight standards (e.g., NASA NPR, ECSS, DO-178C)
Mentor and guide software engineers through technical leadership, code quality enforcement, and system-level integration
Support spacecraft-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and flight simulation testing environments
Contribute to continuous improvement of software development processes, tools, and best practices across the engineering organization
Participate in mission readiness reviews, anomaly resolution, and on-orbit software updates and maintenance
Experience with simulation environments and ground software integration
Excellent leadership, collaboration, and communication skills across multidisciplinary teams
Strong problem-solving ability and technical judgment under mission-critical constraints
Passion for advancing space technologies and contributing to successful missions
Qualification
Required
Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Engineering
10+ years of experience developing embedded or real-time software for space, aerospace, robotics, or mission-critical systems
Proven experience leading software development through all phases of the system lifecycle—from requirements through flight operations
Strong proficiency in C/C++, with working knowledge of Python or scripting languages for automation and testing
Familiarity with RTOS, bare-metal programming, or Linux-based embedded systems
Deep understanding of software reliability, deterministic timing, concurrency, and resource management in constrained environments
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)
Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information; Ability to maintain or obtain a Government Security Clearance is required
Preferred
Experience with flight software frameworks (e.g., NASA cFS, F' FPrime, or custom architectures)
Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and interface control documentation
Knowledge of space communication protocols (CCSDS, SpaceWire, MIL-STD-1553, etc.)
Company
Space Kinetic Corp.
Space Kinetic is focused on our nation’s most urgent national security priorities.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$12.18MKey Investors
Balerion Space VenturesAWS Space Accelerator
2025-08-13Seed· $12M
2024-07-16Seed· $0.1M
2023-06-01Pre Seed· $0.07M
Leadership Team
Ryan Sullivan
Co-Founder
Scott Ziegler
Co-Founder
Recent News
2025-08-29
2025-08-21
Company data provided by crunchbase