Principal Flight Software Engineer I - Automation & Test

Job Description

Job Description

Please Note:  To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

 

At  CesiumAstro , we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

We are looking to add a Principal Flight Software Engineer I - Automation & Test to our Satellite team.  If you are excited about automated testing of spacecraft software systems and thrive in a startup environment where you own your path, we want to hear from you.

 

In this role, you will be responsible for creating automated testing systems that enable rapid delivery of satellite software and hardware to ensure that software releases perform reliably – on both simulation environments and integrated hardware platforms.  You will have ownership over the projects you are working on, all the way from an idea to deployment.  You will work closely with flight software, hardware, systems, and integration teams to validate functionality, performance, and stability across the full development lifecycle.

 

As a CesiumAstro spacecraft team member, you will work on a small team to develop satellites and put them in orbit. Your work will have a direct impact on the success of the company. You will work closely with the engineering team, program management to ensure the successful build and launch of our satellite. Element will be the largest, most powerful rideshare satellite in LEO. We’re launching eight of them in the next four years, starting with our first launch this year.  Together, our small team will design, build, and iterate to reduce mass and cost while increasing performance, reliability, and manufacturability of a new generation of satellites. Let’s build! 

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and implement an automated testing ecosystem to verify CesiumAstro satellite flight software and satellite systems.
• Develop, execute, and maintain test scripts to validate software functionality on flatsat, Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems and simulated systems.
• Create complex testing automation plans using industry standard languages and frameworks.
• Create test plans aligned to validate system requirements and mission objectives.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines to support rapid iteration during release cycles.
• Analyze test results to provide clear, actionable feedback to engineering teams.
• Work with engineers across all teams at CesiumAstro to debug, investigate, and document hardware and software defects.
• Improve test coverage, execution efficiency, and reliability over time.
• Identify areas of improvement on our test automation posture across the organization.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Science (MS), or Doctorate (PhD) degree in Software or Computer Engineering from an accredited university or institution.
• Minimum of 9 years of industry experience in spacecraft software development.
• Experience writing automated testing scripts with Python, C, or C++.
• Experience with OpenC3 COSMOS software for operations and test automation
• Strong debugging, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills.
• Strong communication and organization skills.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience testing software on hardware test platforms (HIL, flatsat, integration benches, or similar).
• Experience with Linux, Single Board Computers, embedded computers, and FPGAs.
• Experience using git, Continuous Integration, and monitoring tools to fully automate validation and testing during development.
• Experience with containerization tools like Docker.
• Deployment of testing software used in real-world applications.
• Fundamental knowledge of communication protocols (UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet, CAN, etc.)
• Familiarity with requirements traceability tools.
• Understanding of mission-critical or safety-critical software validation.
• Basic experience with RF and electrical engineering lab equipment for testing and debugging.

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.  Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.  

 

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

 

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.