Lead Flight Software Engineer (Special Programs)

• As a Lead Flight Software Engineer for Special Programs at Impulse Space, you will lead the design, development, integration, and operation of the software that powers some of the most agile delta-V spacecraft under development
• You will work closely with GNC, avionics, propulsion, systems, and mission operations teams to deliver high-reliability software for responsive space missions
• Lead the design, implementation, integration, and verification of flight software for high-performance space vehicles produced at scale
• Architect real-time flight software systems for responsive spacecraft, including command and telemetry, mission sequencing, autonomy, and fault management
• Develop and integrate software for closed-loop control of propulsion, attitude control, and other time-critical vehicle systems
• Develop detection and mitigation algorithms for anomalies such as sensor failures, actuator malfunctions, or radiation-induced faults
• Mentor and provide technical direction to a team of flight software engineers
• Support mission operations and troubleshoot real-time issues during ground integration, environmental testing, and on-orbit operations

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision: Enjoy the best medical, dental and optical coverage money can buy. We’ve got you and your family covered for all eventualities
• Company Ownership: You’ll be contributing to Impulse’s success, so you deserve to share in it. All full-time employees receive a meaningful equity allocation
• Flexible PTO Policy: We believe in work-life harmony more so than “balance”. When you are happy & fulfilled outside of work, you will be more productive when you’re in it. We offer generous PTO accrual to our full-time employees

Preferred experience

• Experience with Embedded Linux in mission-critical environments
• Demonstrated experience of computer architecture, operating systems, deterministic real-time execution, and embedded networking
• 5+ years of professional experience developing C/C++ code for embedded systems in aerospace, with at least 1 year in a technical leadership role
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• Proven track record delivering flight software for spacecraft, launch vehicles, upper stages, OTVs, responsive spacecraft, or other high-performance aerospace systems
• Active Top Secret Clearance with SCI eligibility
• Experience with flight software frameworks, middleware, distributed software architectures, or publish/subscribe messaging patterns for mission-critical embedded systems
• Participation in successful integration, testing, launch, and mission operations of a space vehicle
• Experience collaborating with external suppliers, primes, or government customers to integrate software and hardware components across vehicle, payload, or mission systems
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to lead technical discussions and guide design trade studies