Flight Software Engineer I/II

Orbit Fab's mission is to create the foundational infrastructure that will fuel a bustling in-space economy, capable of sustaining permanent jobs in space. 

Today, satellites cannot be refueled, which severely constrains their mobility and inhibits the development of economic activities in space. 

Orbit Fab breaks the single-use paradigm, pioneering our Gas Stations in Space™ refueling infrastructure and RAFTI™ technology to deliver propellant in space, enabling lower-cost satellite construction, increased maneuverability, precise control, and extended lifespans. The possibilities are unprecedented, opening the doors to unimagined operational strategies and business models. 

Since our establishment in 2018, we have already achieved the successful launch of three tankers to space. With offices in both the US and UK, we are working in close collaboration with partners and customers across the space industry. Orbit Fab is rapidly ramping up capabilities and requires exceptional talent to tackle important challenges. Our roles offer wide ranging opportunities to have a demonstrable impact and enable a bustling in space economy. 

Role 

You would be responsible for developing embedded flight software and firmware to support a variety of upcoming Orbit Fab missions. You would perform coding, debugging, testing, and troubleshooting of systems and software throughout our development process. Your technical duties involve the design and development of new software products throughout the product lifecycle. A major emphasis will be on reliable software that will perform critical functions for a payload in orbit. 

Responsibilities 

• Develop critical flight software for Orbit Fab's technologies. 

• Architect, plan and implement firmware and software solutions for system communication and coordination to meet mission CONOPS. 

• Implement and test software to ensure compliance with systems requirements. 

• Assist in overall system design and development, providing input to key decisions and reviews from a flight software perspective. 

• Perform documentation of the structure and functionality of flight software. 

• Directly interact with the customers, both government and commercial. 

• Manage software project/tasks and interactions with contractors and vendors to meet the needs of the project. 

Qualifications 

• The following minimum experience: 
  • BS degree in engineering from an accredited engineering school + 1 year experience in embedded flight software development OR 
  • MS degree in engineering from an accredited engineering school 

• Demonstrated applicable experience in embedded flight software development through professional roles or internships, including: 
  • Bare metal C Programming. 
  • Experience with developing code on ARM Cortex processors. 
  • Experience with Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS) or with Embedded Linux. 
  • Low-level driver development (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN, etc.) for interfacing with hardware peripherals. 

• Experience integrating hardware actuators and sensors and performing hardware-in-the-loop development. 

• Experience working in a diverse, multidisciplinary team environment that includes business communication and diverse engineering disciplines. 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. 

• Must be a U.S. Citizen/Person and able to successfully complete a U.S. government background investigation. 

• Must be willing and able to work a hybrid schedule (3-5 days a week on site) out of our Lafayette, CO office 

Nice to Have 

• 2+ years of relevant industry experience in embedded flight software development. 

• Familiarity with software related to spacecraft command and telemetry handling. 

• Experience with radiation effects as well as writing software for radiation environments. 

• Experience with MATLAB, Python, and Linux. 

• Experience in a startup or agile development environment. 

• Experience with software development tools such as Git, Jira, Confluence. 

• Experience with FDIR and PIL/HWIL/SIL 

• Experience with CI/CD tools (Docker, pipelines/runners, static analysis, Github Actions) 

• Experience with CMake, Makefile, GNU ARM tool chain, Keill compiler and tools 

• Familiarity and expertise with control theory and closed loop hardware control. 

• Experience with motor control (stepper, brushless DC and/or servo) 

The estimated salary ranges for this position is as follows:

• Flight Software Engineer I - $80,000 - $100,000
• Flight Software Engineer II - $100,000 - $125,000

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalized people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Orbit Fab, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply if you feel you would succeed in the role above.

Location and Benefits

Orbit Fab is based out of Lafayette, Colorado and all roles are based in Colorado. We offer fully covered benefits, discretionary time off, and flexible work hours.

Eligibility

Some job roles may be limited to US Persons (22 CFR 120.62 “U.S. person”).

Orbit Fab Inc does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.