Payload Flight Software Engineer

What You'll Do

Payload Flight Software

• Design, develop, integrate, and maintain flight software supporting Mantis Space payload systems.
• Define software architecture for command and control, telemetry, data handling, health monitoring, fault protection, and autonomous mission execution.
• Develop reliable software capable of operating throughout spacecraft commissioning, nominal operations, contingency scenarios, and other mission phases.
• Implement command and telemetry interfaces between payload flight software and spacecraft systems.
• Develop software tools, libraries, test infrastructure, and development environments supporting payload development and mission operations.
• Establish software configuration, version control, build, release, and deployment practices appropriate for flight hardware.
• Participate in software architecture and technical design reviews.

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Spacecraft Integration

• Serve as the technical lead for payload-to-spacecraft flight software integration.
• Work directly with spacecraft vendors and integration partners to define software and system interfaces.
• Define and maintain interface requirements and Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
• Coordinate command, telemetry, timing, power-state, data-transfer, communications, and operational interfaces.
• Validate compatibility between payload software, spacecraft services, communications systems, and operational concepts.
• Participate in technical interchange meetings, interface reviews, integration reviews, and spacecraft-level design reviews.
• Identify and resolve software and systems integration issues that cross organizational or supplier boundaries.

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Verification, Validation & Hardware Integration

• Develop automated software test frameworks and simulation environments.
• Develop and maintain software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing capabilities.
• Support payload bring-up, hardware/software integration, environmental testing, and end-to-end mission validation.
• Develop verification strategies and test procedures for flight software requirements.
• Diagnose issues spanning software, electronics, communications, sensors, payload hardware, and spacecraft interfaces.
• Participate in integration and test campaigns and support root-cause analysis of anomalies.
• Establish objective evidence demonstrating flight software readiness for launch and mission operations.

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Mission Operations & On-Orbit Support

• Participate in mission planning, payload commissioning, and on-orbit operations.
• Develop operational procedures, command sequences, monitoring tools, and flight software support tools.
• Support payload activation, checkout, calibration, and transition to routine operations.
• Analyze telemetry and flight data to evaluate payload performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Support anomaly investigation and resolution during commissioning and routine operations.
• Develop and execute software updates when required to improve mission capability, performance, or reliability.
• Participate in operational readiness reviews and mission simulations.

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Systems Engineering & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with systems, optical, electrical, mechanical, controls, RF, ground software, and mission operations engineers.
• Translate payload requirements into software requirements, architectures, interfaces, and verification strategies.
• Participate in system-level architecture and design trades.
• Identify software-driven impacts to spacecraft architecture, payload performance, power, communications, timing, and operations.
• Maintain clear technical documentation and communicate software risks, dependencies, and recommendations to engineering leadership.
• Support development of engineering standards and flight software development practices as Mantis Space scales its mission portfolio.

What You Bring

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience developing embedded, real-time, distributed, or mission-critical software systems.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and/or Rust.
• Experience developing software in Linux-based environments.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, embedded systems, interfaces, testing, and verification.
• Demonstrated ability to work across hardware and software boundaries.
• Experience troubleshooting complex systems involving software, electronics, communications, sensors, or other hardware.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with external spacecraft vendors, suppliers, and technical partners.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary engineering organization.

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Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience with spacecraft, avionics, robotics, autonomous systems, scientific instruments, or other hardware-intensive systems.
• Direct experience developing spacecraft or payload flight software.
• Familiarity with flight software frameworks such as F Prime, cFS, or equivalent architectures.
• Experience with spacecraft or embedded communications protocols including:
• Ethernet
• CAN
• UART
• SpaceWire
• CCSDS
• TCP/IP
• Other spacecraft or embedded communications standards
• Experience developing command and telemetry systems.
• Experience with fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) or fault protection.
• Experience developing autonomous or semi-autonomous mission capabilities.
• Experience integrating complex sensors, optical systems, RF systems, scientific instruments, or other advanced payloads.
• Experience with software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and processor-in-the-loop testing.
• Experience supporting spacecraft integration campaigns and environmental testing.
• Familiarity with spacecraft ground systems and mission operations.
• Experience with spacecraft commissioning and on-orbit operations.
• Experience developing or operating software for systems requiring high reliability and fault tolerance.
• Experience working with government, commercial space, or NewSpace programs.
• Familiarity with spaceflight software standards, processes, or mission assurance practices.
  

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Personal Attributes

• Systems thinker who naturally considers the interaction between software, hardware, spacecraft, and mission operations.

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Equal Opportunity Statement

Mantis Space is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace that is respectful, inclusive, and focused on professional excellence. Employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We value a wide range of experiences and perspectives and believe they contribute to strong teams and effective problem-solving. We encourage qualified individuals to apply regardless of background. Mantis Space is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodation or assistance at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know.