# Lead Flight Software Engineer at Space Kinetic > United States · Staff · Software engineering · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Aspacekinetic%3A4908305008 (read 2026-11-13). ## Facts (observed) - Company: [Space Kinetic](https://alderhq.app/companies/space-kinetic) - Location text: El Segundo, California; El Segundo, CA - Where it can be done from (inferred): United States (evidence: "Location: El Segundo, California; El Segundo, CA") - Posted: 2025-09-05 (434 days ago) - First seen by alder: 2026-11-02 · last verified: 2026-11-13 - Reposted: 0 times · edited: 0 times - Apply on the employer's site: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/spacekinetic/jobs/4908305008 - Skills listed (inferred): Python, Rust, C++ ## Pay and sponsorship - Posted pay: $220k–$275k per year (from the listing's pay field) - Market band for similar posted roles (Los Angeles, n 208): p25 $179k, median $193k, p75 $211k ## Description (the employer's text) A New Paradigm For Space Operations. Who We Are: Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space. ### What You’ll Do The Lead Flight Software Engineer will serve as the technical leader for the development, integration, and validation of mission-critical software for Space Kinetic’s electromechanical spacecraft systems. You will own low-level and high-level software from initial architecture and requirements through qualification, flight operations, and on-orbit maintenance. This role requires deep experience with embedded real-time systems, software reliability, and spacecraft operations, along with the ability to lead a team in a fast-paced prototyping environment with an aggressive path to flight. ### Job Responsibilities - Lead flight software architecture and development for spacecraft control, autonomy, communications, telemetry, command, GNC interfaces, fault management, and safety systems. - Define software requirements, interfaces, development roadmaps, and verification strategies in partnership with systems, electrical, GNC, test, and mission engineering teams. - Develop reliable, deterministic, and fault-tolerant software using C/C++ or Rust in RTOS, bare-metal, or embedded Linux environments. - Lead software and code reviews, integration, testing, and qualification activities in alignment with applicable spaceflight and mission-assurance standards. - Support simulation, spacecraft-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and ground-software integration environments. - Mentor software engineers, establish coding and design standards, and improve development tools, processes, and best practices. - Support mission-readiness reviews, anomaly resolution, flight operations, and on-orbit software updates. ### What It Takes - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field. - 5 to 10 years of experience developing embedded or real-time software for space, aerospace, robotics, or other mission-critical systems. - Experience leading software development across the full system lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through integration, qualification, and operations. - Strong proficiency in C/C++, with experience using Python or similar scripting languages for automation and testing. - Experience with RTOS, bare-metal programming, or Linux-based embedded systems. - Strong understanding of deterministic timing, concurrency, fault tolerance, software reliability, and resource management in constrained environments. - Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance. ### What We’d Love - Experience with flight software frameworks such as NASA cFS, F´, or custom architectures. - Familiarity with model-based systems engineering and interface control documentation. - Knowledge of spacecraft communication protocols such as CCSDS, SpaceWire, or MIL-STD-1553. Where You’ll Be: The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~20% of the year). --- Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Aspacekinetic%3A4908305008 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.