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Senior Flight Software Engineer

Varda Space Industries

El Segundo, CAJob$169–216K/yrPosted todayStill listed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$169–216K/yr
Location
El Segundo, CA
Work Authorization
Work authorization required

Olive focuses on jobs in the United States, including remote roles you can work from there.

Job overview

The Senior Flight Software Engineer determines how Varda spacecraft behave and operate in orbit and builds reliable software to support missions. The role spans development from requirements capture through testing and flight operational support, including software design, integration, verification, and validation. The position is on-site in El Segundo, California, and focuses on embedded flight software for spacecraft, satellite buses, and reentry capsules.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

C++ (Programming Language), nice to haveEmbedded Systems, nice to haveSoftware Development, nice to havePython (Programming Language), nice to haveTelemetry, nice to haveAnalogue Electronics, nice to haveDigital Electronics, nice to haveSpacecraft Software Development, requiredReal-Time Embedded Systems, nice to haveSafety-Critical Software, nice to haveCCSDS Telemetry and Telecommand, nice to haveF' Framework, nice to havecFS Framework, nice to haveRust, nice to haveAnalog Electronics, nice to haveSPI, nice to haveI2C, nice to haveCAN, nice to haveEtherCAT, nice to have

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Listed Fields or Equivalent Technical Experience, required5+ Years Spacecraft or Safety-Critical Software Experience, requiredEnd-to-End Spacecraft Build and Launch Experience, nice to have

Full job description

About Varda Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses. From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind. Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL. Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role The Senior Flight Software Engineer is responsible for determining how our spacecraft behaves and operates in orbit and building reliable software to ensure it happens. The team is responsible for all phases of development, starting from requirements capture through testing and flight operational support. Responsibilities

  • Develop reliable flight software that determine how the spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate throughout the entire mission.
  • Write quality structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux based software for embedded processors in C++.
  • Own all aspects of software development, from design, testing, and integration.
  • Scope projects including requirements capture and initial design trades given open-ended problems.
  • Ensure system quality and performance through software test, verification, and validation (V&V) technique.
  • Teamwork, communicate and problem solve in a collaborative environment.

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering or equivalent technical experience in safety critical software.
  • 5+ years of experience in the development of spacecraft or similar safety critical software.
  • Experience with development in C++, along with a strong understanding of the language concepts.

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • End-to-end experience building and launching a spacecraft.
  • Experience developing and testing real-time embedded systems.
  • Experience with safety-critical software, especially for aerospace applications.
  • Experience with CCSDS telemetry and telecommand system.
  • Experience with F' or cFS framework.
  • Experience with Python, or Rust.
  • Knowledge of basic analog and digital electronics.
  • Familiarity with SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT.

Pay Range

  • Salary range: Senior Software Engineer: $169,067 - $216,031/ per year.
  • This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
  • Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
  • You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

ITAR Requirements Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).

E-Verify Statement Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program. E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice Read more Read more Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

How this job compares

Set against the 38,872 open Software Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 14, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$169–216K/yr
  • California median$163–243K/yr6,926 salary ranges
  • US median$132–214K/yr31,450 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $193K, is 6% below the California median midpoint ($205K) — in the middle half of Software Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 8,509 open Software Engineer jobs in California and 38,872 across the US. 8% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Software Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (32,117 postings).
Education
12,029 of the 38,872 open Software Engineer jobs (31%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Pay, requirements and demand for Software Engineer jobs

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 14, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.

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