Software Engineer, Reliability (Avionics / Compute Systems)

Mission

Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Background

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.

Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.

Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.

This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation ’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

About The Role

As a Software Engineer, Reliability, you will ensure the software powering our avionics and high-performance compute systems operates flawlessly in orbit. You will own reliability from concept through flight, building automated validation frameworks and testing compute platforms under mission-representative conditions. This hands-on role requires bridging hardware and software to optimize fault tolerance and performance. You’ll be expected to move quickly, resolve complex anomalies, and take ownership of the system stability that directly impacts mission success.

Responsibilities

• Own software reliability for avionics and compute systems across the full lifecycle—from concept, design, radiation hardening, and integration to launch and on-orbit operations
• Design, develop, and maintain automated test and validation frameworks for embedded and high-performance compute systems
• Develop software to validate performance, stability, and fault tolerance of CPUs, GPUs, and custom accelerators under mission-representative conditions
• Execute system-level testing including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), environmental, and stress testing to identify failure modes
• Characterize system performance (latency, throughput, resource utilization) and drive optimization across hardware/software boundaries
• Investigate and resolve anomalies through deep root cause analysis, using data-driven approaches to improve system reliability
• Define reliability metrics, test plans, and acceptance criteria for flight-critical systems
• Work closely with electrical, avionics, and software teams to ensure robust integration of compute platforms into spacecraft systems
• Build internal tools to support rapid debugging, telemetry analysis, and system observability
• Support vehicle and payload bring-up, integration, and pre-flight validation efforts
• Support and participate in radiation testing campaigns of avionics and compute parts

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• 4+ years of experience in software engineering, reliability engineering, or systems validation
• Strong programming skills in Python, C++, or similar languages
• Experience working with distributed systems, embedded systems, or high-performance compute environments
• Familiarity with debugging complex system-level issues across hardware and software
• Experience building automated test frameworks or validation infrastructure

• Experience with avionics systems, spacecraft hardware, or embedded compute platforms
• Familiarity with GPU/accelerator-based systems and performance validation (e.g., CUDA, parallel computing)
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and system integration
• Strong background in performance analysis, profiling, and optimization
• Experience with observability tools, logging, and telemetry systems
• Understanding of fault tolerance, redundancy, and high-reliability system design
• Experience operating in fast-paced, high-ownership environments (e.g., aerospace, defense, advanced hardware startups)

The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $200,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.