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Principal Software Engineer

Westminster, Colorado

The team at Advanced Space is leading humanity back to the Moon and pioneering innovative solutions in the space industry. This team is seeking a Principal Software Engineer responsible for architecting solutions for ground and flight software for missions to the Moon and beyond. Advanced Space is a rapidly growing, privately held business that operates with core values that reinforce: we are customer obsessed and mission focused; when we see it, we solve it; we are one team, motivated by our vision; and we bring technical excellence and inexhaustible curiosity. This role will be based in Westminster, Colorado and an ideal candidate for this role will love not just the responsibilities but will also have a passion for the exploration, development, and settlement of space.

This role will span the software lifecycle from design through implementation, test, and mission operations, requiring hands-on knowledge of coding best practices, and the ability to lead other software, navigation, and astrodynamics engineers in producing high quality software.  

Responsibilities:

  • Expert in relevant language(s).  
  • Able to understand and guide application of software techniques in all languages.
  • Makes critical decisions on architecture, design, and technology choices.
  • Act as a technical beacon for the organization.
  • Expert in selecting appropriate designs, experiences with pro's/con's of various architectures, knows when to employ each, and how to optimize each.
  • Lead/drive company wide direction related to software engineering techniques, guide development for cross/future program applicability, collaborate across disciplines to strategize for scalable growth with constant improvement in efficiency and quality.  
  • Provide accurate content and estimates for software related proposals.
  • Able to identify customer needs and gaps, construct complex software solutions, and pitch these solutions to stakeholders with emphasis on the value of proper process at each stage.
  • Expert in selecting appropriate designs, experiences with pro's/con's of various architectures, knows when to employ each, and how to optimize each.
  • Lead/drive companywide direction related to software engineering techniques, guide development for cross/future program applicability, collaborate across disciplines to strategize for scalable growth with constant improvement in efficiency and quality. 
  • Shapes company strategy for software-domain mission integration.
  • Expert at best practices in testing and enforcement of best practices in development pipeline.  
  • Contributes new ideas to BD/IRAD based on subject matter expertise and industry trends.
  • Works to align software IRAD with company's strategic goals.

Responsibilities: 

  • Apply software engineering principles, concepts, theory, and practice with a focus on the unique aspects of flight software based on cFS and embedded Linux, ground software based on python and modern web-based frameworks, and cloud-based or embedded ML and autonomous systems.
  • Participate in all elements of the software lifecycle including requirements, development, testing, and integration.
  • Generate software architecture solutions for new project needs, perform software engineering analyses, document findings, communicate results to engineering and program management staff, give technical presentations, manage technical effort schedules, and coordinate workloads of an engineering unit to meet established deadlines or milestones.
  • Mentors Staff and Senior engineers on estimation techniques.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

  • Bachelor's, Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering or a related technical field. 
  • 15+ years of experience with spacecraft software systems, system architecture and/or mission control systems. 
  • Must have a complete understanding of software development concepts, principles, and theory and demonstrate a complete understanding and application of programming and analysis concepts.
  • Demonstrated hands-on technical expertise in C/C++ and Python programming languages.
  • Knowledge of unique aspects of embedded software in resource-constrained environments and embedded Linux.
  • Experience with version control (e.g. Git), Agile development processes and standards, Linux and Windows development, AWS or other cloud services, and Docker or other containerization services.
  • Experience with designing real-time, embedded Flight Software (FSW) and firmware (FW) for satellite systems is strongly desired, including NASA core Flight System (cFS).
  • Experience with ground software for satellite systems, including knowledge of modern front-end web frameworks (e.g. React), is strongly desired.
  • Must have strong communication, computer, documentation, presentation, and interpersonal skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team; ability to lead a team of less experienced professional employees.
  • Must be able to interface effectively with other engineers of various disciplines, including astrodynamics, navigation, and space systems design engineers, and interpret, debug, and modify complex software following rigorous process and coding standards.
  • Willingness to mentor more junior software engineers/interns and develop a cohesive, well-coordinated software development team. 

Eligibility requirements 

  • Ability to work in the Westminster, CO office 3-5 days/week
  • Applicants must be a US Citizen
  • Must be eligible to obtain a US Security Clearance
  • This role requires access to U.S. export-controlled information. If applicable, final offers will be contingent on ability to obtain authorization for access to U.S. export-controlled information from the U.S. Government 

Compensation and Benefits: 

  • Base Salary Range: $160,000 - $195,000 based on team member role and experience 
  • Signing bonus
  • Company provided health insurance 
  • 401K plan upon eligibility  
  • Flexible time off policy
  • Company and individual incentives quarterly
  • Relocation assistance 

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