Lead Flight Software Engineer, Capella Space
$150-198k
Office located in Louisville, CO
Space-based radar Earth observation satellites
Open for applications
Space-based radar Earth observation satellites
201-500 employees
Open for applications
$150-198k
Office located in Louisville, CO
201-500 employees
Company mission
To make timely Earth observation an essential tool for commerce, conservation, and well-being.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field (advanced degree preferred)
- 1+ years of experience managing or leading software engineering teams, particularly within embedded systems or aerospace domains
- Strong foundation in real-time embedded systems, including experience with bare-metal, RTOS, and Linux environments
- Proficiency in C and C++ (C++ experience highly preferred); experience with scripting languages such as Python or shell scripting
- Familiarity with embedded Linux, Linux kernel modules, and development tools
- Experience with microcontrollers and SoCs (e.g., Xilinx Zynq) and hardware/software integration
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to lead collaboratively and support cross-functional alignment
- Working knowledge of modern software development practices including Git, CI/CD, and automated testing
- Hands-on experience with lab equipment and debugging hardware is a plus
- To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Capella Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here
What the job involves
- As a Lead Software Engineer for Flight Software at Capella, you will lead a team of engineers responsible for developing and maintaining the software that runs Capella’s satellite fleet in space
- You will oversee a dedicated segment of the existing flight software team, support mission-critical software development and contributing directly to the success of Capella's on-orbit operations
- This role reports to the Director of Flight Software and offers the opportunity to influence technical direction, grow and mentor engineering talent, and drive high standards of execution in a fast-paced and collaborative environment
- You’ll work alongside engineers and stakeholders across electrical, FPGA, systems, and ground software teams to deliver robust and reliable spacecraft software
- Lead a team of 3-5 flight software engineers responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining embedded software for satellite systems
- Contribute to software development efforts directly, including hands-on coding and participation in code reviews
- Collaborate with peers and cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration between hardware and software components
- Establish and uphold engineering best practices, including code reviews, automated testing, documentation, and design reviews
- Mentor and grow engineers through technical challenges, performance feedback, and career development
- Support architectural discussions, software planning, and trade studies within the team’s scope of responsibility
- Drive consistent and timely execution of project milestones and deliverables
- Facilitate strong communication across engineering disciplines and ensure software solutions meet mission and system-level requirements
- Contribute to hiring, onboarding, and team growth efforts as Capella scales
Our take
Earth observation in the form of satellite imagery is in high demand. With climate change, supply chain, and defense operations all requiring high-quality observation data, the race is on to provide the clearest, most timely images - and Capella Space is one private company leading the charge.
Capella Space commands a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation in low-earth orbit that clients can use to access real-time visibility of facts on the ground. It’s the first US company to do so, and has won a correspondingly leading slate of customers that include the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. Air Force, Geospatial, and RSI.
As the urgency of addressing global issues increases, the demand for Capella Space’s services is almost certain to rise. This puts the company in a great position to pursue further success, having already established itself as a key player in the market. It has also seen good funding that will help expand its imaging capacity and develop new data products, and has become one of the first commercial earth observation companies to secure a contract to work with the government on its program to boost US resilience in space.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
11% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
Jan 2023
$60m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Apr 2022
$97m
SERIES C
Total funding: $234m
Company benefits
- Medical/Dental/Vision
- Disability and Life Insurance
- 401k plan
- Equity
- Health Care, Dependent Care FSAs
- Commuter/Parking Flex Spending
- Flexible Vacation Policy
- In-Office Lunch Program
- Dog Friendly Work Environment (SF)
Company HQ
Mission District, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Payam Banazadeh
(Board Member & Founder)Worked in software development at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ultimately taking up a Lead Project Engineer role there. Subsequently worked as a Project Manager at Stanford. Is now a member of advisory committees at the NOAA and University of Texas, Austin, as well as a Board Member at the National Security Space Association (NSSA).
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