Spacecraft Ground Software Engineer III Verified today
About the Role
Quantum Space is seeking a Spacecraft Ground Software Engineer III to lead development, integration, and operational support of software systems that enable spacecraft testing, mission operations, and real-time ground communications.
You will work at the intersection of distributed systems, mission operations, infrastructure, and real-time data processing. This role involves building software platforms and operational tooling that support spacecraft integration, command and telemetry workflows, and mission readiness throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
What You Will Do
- Lead design, development, and deployment of ground software components including payload data pipelines, telemetry processing, event handling, dashboards, tool development, and automated monitoring.
- Own major portions of the ground segment architecture and guide long-term technical direction.
- Develop tools and automation to improve reliability, operator efficiency, and system observability across satellite missions.
- Work with mission operators, mission design and analysis, and systems engineering to understand operational workflows and translate them into software solutions.
- Lead integration of new spacecraft, subsystems, and communication interfaces into the ground system.
- Implement scalable microservices, APIs, and data pipelines to support real-time and offline mission operations.
- Ensure system resiliency, security, and performance through testing, code review, CI/CD, and operational best practices.
- Support anomaly investigations by building diagnostic tools, analyzing telemetry flows, and identifying root causes within the ground architecture.
- Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and contribute to engineering standards and best practices.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, software engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years of software engineering experience, including production experience developing complex systems.
- Strong proficiency in at least one major programming language (Python, Go, C++, or Java).
- Experience developing distributed systems, APIs, or microservices architectures.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms, containerization (Docker), and orchestration frameworks (Kubernetes).
- Understanding of satellite operations concepts, telemetry/command systems, or communication protocols.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and code quality practices.
Nice-to-Have Experience
- Prior experience developing spacecraft ground systems, mission control software, or telemetry/command frameworks.
- Experience with message bus or streaming technologies (Kafka, MQTT, Redis Streams).
- Knowledge of CCSDS standards (telemetry, command, SM&C, file delivery).
- Experience building operational UIs, dashboards, or visualization tools.
- Contributions to system architecture decisions, scaling strategies, and infrastructure automation.
- Experience supporting real-time or mission-critical operational environments.
- Familiarity with RF systems, link-layer protocols, or satellite network configurations.
Compensation and Location
Base Salary: $140,000-$165,000. Competitive equity and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, generous leave, HSA, 401(k) matching, and equity sharing.
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Eligibility
To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual per 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.