Senior Flight Software Engineer (TS Cleared)
Join Apex as a Senior Flight Software Engineer to design and develop mission-critical software for spacecraft operations.
Posted by employer 3 days ago
First seen on Joblaze 2 days ago
Last verified on the company career page 13 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Design, develop, and own mission-critical software for satellite systems
- Develop rapid, iterative software for testing
- Plan and execute unit, integration, and system-level testing
- Collaborate cross-functionally with teams to establish product requirements
- Support spacecraft commissioning during launch and early operations
Must have
- U.S. Citizenship
- Active Top Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance
- 8+ years of total flight software experience
- Bachelor’s degree in CS, EE, or equivalent
- Strong proficiency in programming languages such as C++, Python, or Rust
Nice to have
- Experience developing, testing, deploying, and troubleshooting mission-critical satellite software
- Experience with real-time software on distributed hardware platforms
- Knowledge of embedded and real-time operating systems
- Experience writing and debugging low-level device drivers
- Familiarity with satellite communication standards and protocols
Practical constraints
- Must possess the ability to access export-controlled data
Requirements
- Experience
- 8+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Visa
- No sponsorship (stated in posting)
Not disclosed in this posting: work arrangement.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
In this role, the Senior Flight Software Engineer at Apex Space is responsible for designing and developing mission-critical software that ensures the reliable operation of spacecraft throughout their missions. The position requires strong programming skills in languages like C++, Python, or Rust, along with experience in software development for complex systems. Ideal candidates will have over eight years of relevant experience and a background that emphasizes problem-solving in fast-paced environments. The Flight Software team operates collaboratively across various disciplines, enhancing the integration of software with hardware and mission operations.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 2 days ago — first seen on Joblaze October 15, 2026. Last confirmed on Apex Space's careers page October 17, 2026.
- Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$129,591).
- Starts above 90% of 281 comparable senior other roles in United States that list Python we track (median $152,000 across 57 companies). See Python salary trends
- Python appears in 16.3% of 2566 comparable senior other roles in United States; Protobuf appears in 0.1% of 2566 comparable senior other roles in United States.
Quick facts
- What's the salary range?
- Apex Space lists $185,000–$210,000 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 8 years of relevant experience for this Senior Flight Software Engineer (TS Cleared) role.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: AES, C++, CCSDS, ECSS, Embedded Linux, FreeRTOS.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Apex Space targets senior candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Senior Flight Software Engineer (TS Cleared) role at Apex Space.
From the original posting
About the Role
As a member of the Flight Software team, you will design, develop, and own the software that brings our spacecraft to life. You will tackle the hardest problems in autonomous systems and build robust software that enables reliable spacecraft operation 24/7, across every phase of a mission. You will work closely with our mission operations, GNC, and hardware teams to architect new systems, prototype ideas, and turn them into mission-critical software that ultimately flies.
Experience in the space industry is not necessary to thrive at Apex. Instead, we are looking for motivated engineers who enjoy solving complex problems, balance technical rigor with practicality, and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
The Flight Software team is composed of three interconnected teams: high-level application software, operating system software, and embedded software. There is significant collaboration and crossover across these teams.
Responsibilities
Design, develop, and own mission-critical software for satellite systems throughout the full software lifecycle, from initial architecture and development through deployment and operations.
Develop rapid, iterative software to support bench and development testing, as well as robust, rigorously reviewed and validated software delivered to manufacturing and flight systems.
Plan and execute unit, integration, and system-level testing of satellite components, diagnosing and resolving defects to ensure software quality, reliability, and performance.
Collaborate cross-functionally with systems, hardware, test, and operations teams to establish product requirements, define technical roadmaps, and drive successful execution.
Support spacecraft commissioning during launch and early operations, troubleshooting software and ensuring critical flight systems remain functional and reliable throughout critical mission activities.
Requirements
U.S. Citizenship (must possess the ability to access export-controlled data)
Active Top Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance required; ability to obtain and maintain access to additional programs as needed.
8+ years of total flight software experience
Bachelor’s degree in CS, EE, or equivalent
Strong proficiency in programming languages such as C++, Python, or Rust
Preferred
Experience developing, testing, deploying, and troubleshooting mission-critical satellite software from prototyping through flight operations.
Experience with real-time software on distributed hardware platforms across multiple satellite products.
Knowledge of embedded and real-time operating systems (e.g., Embedded Linux, Yocto, Buildroot, FreeRTOS, VxWorks).
Experience writing and debugging low-level device drivers for hardware interfaces (e.g., SPI, I²C, UART, Ethernet, CAN, SpaceWire).
Familiarity with satellite communication standards and protocols (e.g., CCSDS, ECSS).
Familiarity with networking and secure communications (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP, TLS), data serialization (e.g., Protobuf, JSON, MessagePack), and encryption (e.g., AES, RSA).
Experience translating requirements into technical solutions, defining technical roadmaps, and coordinating with cross-functional engineering teams to support project execution.
Experience supporting spacecraft commissioning during launch and early operations.
Experience with version control, configuration management, automated testing, and CI/CD pipelines for software build, deployment, and release.
Pay Range:
Senior: $185K - $210K
Staff: $200K - $250K
#LI-AB1
What We Offer For Full-time Employees:
Shared upside: Receive equity in Apex, letting you benefit from the work you create
Standard company text repeated across Apex Space's postings is omitted here.