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Senior Flight Software Engineer (TS/SCI Cleared) Verified today

Apex Spacecraft · Los Angeles, CA · Software · first seen 2026-10-14
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About the Role

As a member of the Flight Software team, you will design, develop, and own the software that brings our spacecraft to life. You will tackle the hardest problems in autonomous systems and build robust software that enables reliable spacecraft operation 24/7, across every phase of a mission. You will work closely with our mission operations, GNC, and hardware teams to architect new systems, prototype ideas, and turn them into mission-critical software that ultimately flies.

The Flight Software team is composed of three interconnected teams: high-level application software, operating system software, and embedded software. There is significant collaboration and crossover across these teams.

Responsibilities

  • Design, develop, and own mission-critical software for satellite systems throughout the full software lifecycle, from initial architecture and development through deployment and operations.
  • Develop rapid, iterative software to support bench and development testing, as well as robust, rigorously reviewed and validated software delivered to manufacturing and flight systems.
  • Plan and execute unit, integration, and system-level testing of satellite components, diagnosing and resolving defects to ensure software quality, reliability, and performance.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with systems, hardware, test, and operations teams to establish product requirements, define technical roadmaps, and drive successful execution.
  • Support spacecraft commissioning during launch and early operations, troubleshooting software and ensuring critical flight systems remain functional and reliable throughout critical mission activities.

Required Qualifications

  • U.S. Citizenship (must possess the ability to access export-controlled data)
  • Active Top Secret clearance with SCI access and SAP eligibility
  • 8+ years of total flight software experience
  • Bachelor's degree in CS, EE, or equivalent
  • Strong proficiency in programming languages such as C++, Python, or Rust

Preferred Experience

  • Experience developing, testing, deploying, and troubleshooting mission-critical satellite software from prototyping through flight operations.
  • Experience with real-time software on distributed hardware platforms across multiple satellite products.
  • Knowledge of embedded and real-time operating systems (e.g., Embedded Linux, Yocto, Buildroot, FreeRTOS, VxWorks).
  • Experience writing and debugging low-level device drivers for hardware interfaces (e.g., SPI, I²C, UART, Ethernet, CAN, SpaceWire).
  • Familiarity with satellite communication standards and protocols (e.g., CCSDS, ECSS).
  • Familiarity with networking and secure communications (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP, TLS), data serialization (e.g., Protobuf, JSON, MessagePack), and encryption (e.g., AES, RSA).
  • Experience translating requirements into technical solutions, defining technical roadmaps, and coordinating with cross-functional engineering teams to support project execution.
  • Experience supporting spacecraft commissioning during launch and early operations.
  • Experience with version control, configuration management, automated testing, and CI/CD pipelines for software build, deployment, and release.

What We Offer

  • Equity in Apex
  • 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents, plus $100k life insurance at no cost
  • Starting at 15 days vacation, growing to 20+ days annually, plus 10 paid holidays
  • Competitive 401(k) plan: 100% match on first 3%, 50% on next 2%
  • 8 weeks paid parental leave, plus childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel
  • Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
  • Monthly office socials, pickleball tournaments, run club, and family gatherings
  • Complete desk setup and tools for productivity
  • In-person collaboration at Playa Vista office with flexibility to integrate work and life

ITAR Requirements

Apex's work is governed by U.S. export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). To be eligible for this role, applicants must either (1) qualify as a U.S. Person, meaning a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), a refugee admitted under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or an individual granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or (2) be able to obtain the required export authorizations from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, or another applicable U.S. government agency.