On-board Software Engineer

EVONA have partnered with an exciting telecoms start-up, who are developing and launching a new satellite constellation.

They are looking for a Senior Software Engineer with experience with onboard spacecraft software and/or full-stack development.

In this role, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software systems for satellite and spacecraft projects, ensuring their smooth operation in the challenging space environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Design and implement the onboard software architecture, including task scheduling, resource management, and real-time data handling.
2. Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR): Develop robust FDIR frameworks to ensure satellite reliability and resilience in space.
3. Design and implement autonomous control frameworks for spacecraft operations, including automated mode transitions, health monitoring, and adaptive fault recovery.
4. Establish efficient data pipelines for telemetry, command execution, and payload data processing.
5. Embedded Systems Development: Write, test, and optimize software for flight computers, sensors, actuators, and communication interfaces.
6. Work on ground control software, APIs, and cloud-based infrastructure to support satellite operations and mission planning.
7. Develop testing frameworks, software-in-the-loop (SIL), and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations to validate software performance.
8. Design and implement automation frameworks for software deployment, testing, and system monitoring to enhance reliability and efficiency.
9. Cybersecurity & Reliability: Implement security best practices and redundancy measures to safeguard mission-critical software.
10. Experience with data handling, databases, and data visualization tools for managing satellite telemetry, mission analysis, and ground operations.
11. Collaborate with avionics, hardware, and systems engineers to ensure seamless software integration with the satellite’s subsystems.

Required Qualifications

1. Educational background in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
2. 4+ years of experience in software development, preferably within the aerospace or satellite industry, with some experience in embedded software.
3. Proficiency in C/C++ and Python for embedded systems and automation.
4. Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) such as FreeRTOS, VxWorks, or RTEMS.
5. Strong experience with Linux-based systems, particularly SoC-based embedded Linux systems.
6. Experience with satellite communication stacks (CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet, SpaceWire, etc.).
7. Familiarity with fault-tolerant system design and software reliability engineering.
8. Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps, and containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
9. Ability to work independently in a fast-paced startup environment and make impactful technical decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience developing software for space missions.
2. Experience with cloud-based infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) for mission control software.
3. Full-stack development experience, including backend (Node.js, Python, Go) and frontend (React, Vue, Angular) technologies.
4. Knowledge of AI/ML applications for anomaly detection and autonomous operations.
5. Familiarity with space industry standards (e.g., ECSS, NASA, ISO) and radiation-hardened software practices.
6. Experience with flight software frameworks like NASA Core Flight System (cFS) or Linux-based flight computers.