Impulse Space offers long-term incentives through stock options, plus medical, vision, and dental coverage and access to a 401(k) retirement plan. This onsite role in Redondo Beach, CA supports the development of flight software for agile delta-V spacecraft, helping teams deliver reliable software for responsive space missions.
What you’ll do
In this Lead Flight Software Engineering role for Special Programs, you will take ownership of the design, implementation, integration, and verification of flight software for high-performance space vehicles built at scale. You’ll work across GNC, avionics, propulsion, systems, and mission operations to deliver real-time capabilities used during ground integration, environmental testing, and on-orbit operations.
- Lead the end-to-end cycle of flight software design, implementation, integration, and verification.
- Architect real-time flight software systems covering 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.
- Create detection and mitigation algorithms for anomalies including sensor failures, actuator malfunctions, and 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.
What you bring
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- 5+ years of professional experience developing C/C++ for embedded systems in aerospace, including at least 1 year in a technical leadership role.
- Demonstrated experience with computer architecture, operating systems, deterministic real-time execution, and embedded networking.
- Experience with Embedded Linux in mission-critical environments.
Helpful experience
- Active Top Secret Clearance with SCI eligibility.
- Experience delivering flight software for spacecraft, launch vehicles, upper stages, OTVs, responsive spacecraft, or other high-performance aerospace systems.
- Familiarity with flight software frameworks, middleware, distributed software architectures, and 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 across vehicle, payload, or mission systems.
- Strong communication skills to lead technical discussions and guide design trade studies.
Compensation and eligibility
Salary: USD 150,000 - 200,000 per year. Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay are determined case-by-case and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities, and internal equity.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations, including ITAR and EAR. This position requires applicants to be U.S. Persons or persons eligible to obtain an export license from applicable U.S. government agencies.
Technologies
