Senior Flight Software Engineer Verified today
About K2 Space
K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown. With over $1 billion in total funding and over $1 billion in signed contracts from commercial and US government customers, K2 is mass-producing high-power satellite platforms for missions from LEO to deep space. Multiple launches are planned for 2027, scaling to 100 satellites per year.
The Role
You will be responsible for development and verification of flight software for some of the largest spacecraft ever built. You will write mission-critical code that controls propulsion systems, attitude control systems, and power systems to ensure safe and reliable operation of the vehicle.
The software team works across the full stack: GNC algorithms, application software on flight computers, embedded software on microcontrollers, operating systems, HDL programming, and test systems. You will have opportunities to work across areas you may not have prior experience with.
In your first 6 months you will develop core pieces of the software architecture including strategies for fault tolerance, real-time control, and telemetry downlink. In your first year you will implement larger software systems and begin verifying your code using software and hardware-in-the-loop simulators. In your first two years you will operate your code on multiple spacecraft, demonstrating robust performance in demanding missions.
Responsibilities
- Create software architecture for real-time, fault tolerant control of a 20kW+ spacecraft
- Develop software applications for control of spacecraft subsystems, including propulsion, guidance/attitude control, thermal, power, and communications systems
- Design and implement state machines for robust operation of the spacecraft
- Create and utilize robust tools to allow for rapid deployment of quality code
- Perform data analysis and anomaly investigation to identify and resolve software bugs
- Support integration and testing of the spacecraft subsystems
- Build and maintain infrastructure to increase reliability when developing and testing software
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, math, or a STEM discipline, or 5+ years of professional experience in software engineering
- Development experience in Rust, C/C++, Python, VHDL, or SystemVerilog
Preferred Experience
- Spacecraft flight software development
- Linux systems programming and driver development
- Continuous integration and continuous delivery systems
- Hard real-time embedded systems (bare-metal or RTOS)
- Electronics, computer architecture, and control systems
- State machine development and implementation
- Software verification and testing methods
- Software and network performance analysis and debugging
- Extended Kalman Filters for inertial sensors
- Fault tolerant software design and implementation
- Test systems for hardware-in-the-loop and hardware-out-of-the-loop
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary range: $160,000 to $200,000 plus equity in the company
- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, and paid parental leave
Export Compliance
The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including ITAR. The candidate must either be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.