Embedded Flight Software Engineer

Embedded Flight SoftwareEngineerRole DescriptionWe are seeking an Embedded Flight Software Engineer with deep expertise in low-levelembedded software, FPGA interfaces, drivers, and bootloader development to join ourflight program team. This is a full-time, in-office role for an experienced professional witha hands-on experience in FSW development. In this role, you will design andimplement low-level drivers, BSPs, and boot systems while managing memoryarchitectures and FPGA hardware interfaces. You will bridge the gap between low-levelhardware and high-level FSW logic, ensuring reliable spacecraft boot behavior, fail-saferecovery, and deterministic bus communications in space environments.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop low-level C/C++ drivers, Board Support Packages (BSPs), and hardwareinterfaces for microcontrollers, FPGAs, and standard communication buses.Design and implement stage-1 and stage-2 bootloaders, robust boot behaviors,partition swapping logic, and fail-safe recovery modes.Architect memory management strategies across volatile and non-volatile memory(NOR/NAND Flash, SRAM, EEPROM) to preserve data integrity across reboots.Configure low-level communication protocols and bus interfaces (e.g., SPI, I2C, CAN,UART, SpaceWire, or PCIe) between compute units, peripherals, and payloads.Implement telemetry collection, time synchronization, and task scheduling withinRTOS or embedded OS environments.Implement hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and debugging on flatsats using logicanalyzers, oscilloscopes, and FPGA emulator tools.Manage the codebase using modern version control systems and contribute to CI/CDworkflows for automated testing and continuous integration.Implement comprehensive test campaigns on testbeds and flight units to verify softwareperformance under flight-like conditions.Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate subsystems with the spacecraftmain compute element.Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.Document design processes, test results, and system performance.Embedded Flight Software EngineerProvide technical guidance on FSW architectures to fellow engineers, fostering aculture of excellence and innovation.Minimum QualificationsBachelor’s or advanced degree in computer science, aerospace engineering, or similarfield.5+ years of embedded software engineering experience, with exposure to low-leveldriver development, hardware integration, or bootloaders.Strong proficiency in C, C++, embedded Linux, and Real-Time Operating Systems(RTOS).Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git) and automated testing/CIworkflows.Strong ability to collaborate effectively in a flexible environment while maintaining apositive and professional attitude.Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.Must possess or be willing and eligible to obtain a United States Department ofDefense Top Secret security clearance.Desired QualificationsExperience writing custom drivers for FPGA logic blocks or hardware interfaces (suchas I2C, CAN, SPI, UART, or SpaceWire).Experience with hardware-level communication protocols and hardware/softwareintegration.Experience working in clean room environments and adhering to ESD protocols.Demonstrated experience with custom bootloader design, memory controller drivers,Flash file systems, and image verification/recovery techniques.Company DescriptionWe are a Los Angeles-based spacecraft technology company established to capitalize ona rapidly evolving space landscape and the urgent need to deliver resilient orbitalcapabilities to maintain and increase our national science and security interests. Wecombine serious space flight experience with an open minded, first-principles approach,leveraging advanced computational design and Industry 4.0 practices to deliver customEmbedded Flight Software Engineer spacecraft and mission solutions with industry paramount speed, precision, and reliability.We seek to enable every payload and mission with a fully custom, purpose-builtspacecraft bus, designed and delivered using our patent-pending, automatedcomputational design platform, with paramount reliability.BenefitsWe offer comprehensive benefits including paid medical healthcare for employees,flexible vacation policy, sick days, 401k matching option, pregnancy leave, family leave,holiday pay, military service leave, dental care, vision care and other benefits.Equal OpportunityWe are committed to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of anapplicant’s age, disability, sex, race, religion, gender, national origin, veteran status or anyother legally protected characteristic. The Company will provide reasonableaccommodations to an applicant with a disability or religious belief to enable theapplicant to apply for the position.Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.Sibusisiwe Mlaba