Senior Flight Software Engineer

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. is hiring a Senior Flight Software Engineer in Cambridge, MA to support the development of high-performance, fault-tolerant flight software. This role focuses on embedded software for resource-constrained platforms across air, space, undersea, and hypersonic domains, with an emphasis on security-by-design and lightweight DevSecOps practices.

You will lead an end-to-end software lifecycle, from evaluating requirements and driving design tradeoffs through implementation, testing, documentation, and communication with customers and stakeholders. The position is onsite and involves taking ownership of engineering scope, mentoring others, and addressing complex technical challenges with limited direction.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate requirements, propose solutions, and explore design tradeoffs to support the overall design approach.
• Design algorithms using modern theory and proven techniques.
• Develop embedded software based on prototype algorithms under supervision.
• Analyze designs to demonstrate performance and functionality.
• Develop and execute software tests to confirm compliance with requirements.
• Evaluate results to determine root causes and develop solutions for inefficient or problematic areas.
• Prepare technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other documentation as required.
• Communicate with customers and stakeholders to establish requirements and describe the design and deliverables.
• Drive solutions to complex problems with limited direction, including contributing to requirements development and architecture solution ideation.
• Take responsibility for a subset of the engineering scope.
• Identify program and system-level technical risks and develop and execute mitigation strategies.
• Actively mentor less experienced engineers.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Real-time C/C++ (or Rust) development for aerospace-grade hardware.
• 5-10 years of real-time C/C++ (or Rust) development for aerospace-grade hardware.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and collaborate with hardware, systems, and cyber-security teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering (or equivalent).
• Ability to obtain a Secret clearance.
• Excellent development and troubleshooting skills on embedded targets.
• Excellent knowledge of OS coding techniques, IP protocols, interfaces, and hardware subsystems.
• Expertise in software development for real-time systems.
• Mastery of high-level development languages (e.g., C/C++, Rust).
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of software configuration management tools, defect tracking tools, and peer review processes.
• Excellent time management skills with demonstrated ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with UML/SysML.
• Experience with in-circuit emulators, JTAG debuggers, and laboratory test equipment.

Tech Stack

• C/C++
• Rust
• UML/SysML

Additional Note: Selected applicants must obtain and maintain a government security clearance. Security clearance is preferred.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-3563-3563 (onsite). Salary: USD 62,500 - 275,000 per year. Experience requirement: 5+ years.