Varda Space Industries
Spacecraft Firmware Engineer, C++
About this role
Varda seeks an experienced Spacecraft Firmware Engineer to develop and maintain critical flight software for spacecraft, satellite buses, and reentry capsules operating in low Earth orbit. You'll own the full software lifecycle—from requirements and design through testing and on-orbit operations—building highly reliable systems in C++ for embedded processors.
What you'll do
- Develop firmware controlling spacecraft behavior and operations throughout the entire mission lifecycle
- Lead all phases of software development including design, integration, testing, and verification
- Scope and define requirements for open-ended problems, conducting design trade studies
- Write structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux-based C++ software for embedded processors
- Establish software quality and reliability through comprehensive testing and validation techniques
- Provide operational support for flight systems and troubleshoot in-orbit issues
What they're looking for
- C++ development with strong language fundamentals
- Real-time embedded systems and hardware-software integration
- Safety-critical software development and aerospace applications
- Firmware development for bare metal, RTOS, or Linux environments
- Software testing, verification, and validation methodologies
- Computer architecture, operating systems, and data structures
- Python or Rust programming (preferred)
- Systems design and requirements capture
Benefits
- On-site work in El Segundo, CA with modern production facility
- Competitive salary range of $131,000–$184,000 annually
- Opportunity to work on cutting-edge space infrastructure
- Team of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and top-tier companies
- Backing from world-class investors including Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund
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Varda Space Industries
Varda Space Industries builds commercial spacecraft and orbital manufacturing systems for missions in low Earth orbit, including reentry capsules and satellite buses. The company is hiring mission operations engineers, software engineers (ground segment, flight, and embedded), and manufacturing engineers to develop mission-critical systems, operational infrastructure, and scalable production capabilities.
- Website
- varda.com
Likely interview questions
- Describe your experience developing safety-critical firmware and the testing approaches you used to ensure reliability.
- Walk us through a project where you owned the entire software development lifecycle from requirements to deployment.