Is the Flight Software Engineer II role remote?

No — this is an on-site role in El Segundo, California, United States.

What's the salary range?

Varda Space lists $144,020–$184,026 for this role.

How much experience is required?

At least 3 years of relevant experience for this Flight Software Engineer II role.

Where is the role based?

Varda Space is hiring for this position in El Segundo, California, United States.

What's the tech stack?

Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: C++, Linux, Python, RTOS, Rust.

What seniority level is this role?

Varda Space targets mid-level candidates for this position.

Is this full-time or contract?

Full-time for this Flight Software Engineer II role at Varda Space.

Flight Software Engineer II at Varda Space

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role

The Flight Software Engineer II is responsible for determining how our spacecraft behaves and operates in orbit and building reliable software to ensure it happens. The team is responsible for all phases of development, starting from requirements capture through testing and flight operational support.

Responsibilities

Develop reliable flight software that determine how the spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout the entire mission.
Write quality structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux based software for embedded processors in C++.
Own all aspects of software development, from design, testing, and integration.
Scope projects including requirements capture and initial design trades given open-ended problems.
Ensure system quality and performance through software test, verification, and validation (V&V) technique.
Teamwork, communicate and problem solve in a collaborative environment.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering or equivalent technical experience in safety critical software.
3+ years of experience in the development of spacecraft or similar safety critical software.
Experience with development in C++, along with a strong understanding of the language concepts.

Preferred Skills and Experience

End-to-end experience building and launching a spacecraft.
Experience developing and testing real-time embedded systems.
Experience with safety-critical software, especially for aerospace applications.
Experience with CCSDS telemetry and telecommand system.
Experience with F' or cFS framework.
Experience with Python, or Rust.
Knowledge of basic analog and digital electronics.
Familiarity with SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT.

Pay Range

Salary range: Software Engineer II: $144,020 - $184,026/ per year.
This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Benefits

Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.

Regular Full-Time Positions:

Health & Wellness 

Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays

100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options

Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance

$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses

12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)

Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic

Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents

Financial & Retirement 

Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up

401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)

$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement

Relocation support for new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks 

Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly

Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations

Complimentary EV charging

Benefits for Internship Positions:

Health & Wellness  

Paid observed holidays.

100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.

$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses.

Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents.

Financial  

$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement.

Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible

Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible.

Workplace Experience & Perks 

Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly

Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations

Complimentary EV charging

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).

E-Verify Statement

Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice