Team Lead - Flight Software - Electron Verified today
About the Role
The Electron Flight Software team sits within the GNC department. The team's software operates launch vehicle and spacecraft avionics during launch and on orbit, collects and distributes telemetry and commands, and hosts guidance, navigation, and control software and algorithms.
As Team Lead, you'll lead a team of five engineers who create, maintain, and support software for the Electron launch vehicle, the Photon spacecraft, and associated ground communication systems. You'll report to the Director of Electron Engineering and be based at the Auckland Production Complex. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll set long-term direction, develop your team, and write and review code yourself.
What You'll Own
- Set and manage long-term objectives for Electron flight software and deliver high-quality flight software on time
- Lead software development for launch vehicle and spacecraft avionics embedded computers, ground segment communications, and avionics simulations including hardware-in-the-loop
- Approve software requirements, architecture designs, and definition of ready for backlog items
- Write code and unit tests, review merge requests, and document how the team's software products operate
- Continually reduce software-related risk to the vehicle and business, making risk and reward trade-off calls with input from quality, senior engineering, and production
- Run trade studies and work through complex technical problems where standard approaches won't work
- Identify risks early and change course when needed to keep development on track
What You'll Lead
- Lead a team of five flight software engineers and run stand-ups, architecture meetings, and stakeholder meetings
- Recruit and retain talent within the team
- Keep the wider business informed on status and blockers, and work across teams to clear them
- Put forward plans for new ways of working, new equipment, and improved processes
- Develop direct reports through regular 1:1s, performance reviews, goal setting, and feedback
- Create and approve training packages and deliver training on software products
- Act as deputy for the Director when required
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering, or demonstrated equivalent knowledge
- 5 or more years of experience in software engineering related discipline
- Leadership experience in a software team with critical deliverables
- Strong C and C++ development skills
- Embedded software development experience
- Linux application development experience
- Networked application development experience
- Experience with Git and Jira or another issue tracker
- Clear written and verbal communication, including ability to explain technical topics to less experienced people
Bonus Experience
- Linux kernel development
- Scrum methodologies
- FPGA development
- Python
What We're Looking For
- Ownership mentality with ability to drive tasks and projects to completion independently
- Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-changing environments where requirements evolve rapidly
- Balance speed with quality, moving quickly while maintaining appropriate rigour
- Willingness to roll up your sleeves and do what's needed for mission success
- Bias for action: get hands on with code, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and flight data to get results early
- Domestic and international travel may be required
Background Check
For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers. These checks include nationality checks, as you must be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
You may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a NATO member country, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.