Senior Flight Software Engineer

About Phantom

At Phantom Space Corporation, we provide a rare opportunity to join a startup founded by people who are passionate about what they do. We are seeking like-minded people who inspire others with their drive, determination, and unshakable work ethic, to join our team. 

About the Role

Phantom Space is seeking a Senior Flight Software Engineer to help design and implement critical software for space applications.  You will contribute directly to developing the software to operate and control launch vehicles and satellites, and participate in the review & verification processes to ensure it will perform as intended.  You will also work closely with the avionics hardware team to integrate flight software into embedded vehicle systems, and assist with bringup efforts for new hardware designs.  This is a hands-on role that requires software development expertise as well as basic electronics lab skills to see efforts through from concept through implementation and ultimately vehicle deployment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Developing highly reliable software for the control, operation and monitoring of launch vehicles, satellites, and related support equipment
• Implementing real-time drivers for devices including ADCs and DACs, serial interfaces, and GPIO cards
• Deploying software on embedded devices, participating in hardware bringup efforts
• Working closely with the avionics hardware team to integrate flight software and the hardware it controls with vehicle systems and test setups
• Implementing automated tests and continuous integration for flight software codebases to help maintain the highest level of code quality and ensure compliance to requirements
• Creating design documentation for other developers and end users
• Defining requirements, writing test procedures, and establishing pass/fail criteria
• Lead design reviews of software architecture designs and requirements, and conduct peer reviews of code

• Provide mentorship to more junior members of the flight software team, and assist other teams within the company when software expertise is needed
• Keeping immediate supervisor up to date on all projects, with regards to project status, completion time, and any problems that may have arisen during the course of the project
• Performing other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field, or equivalent
• Preferred 8+ years professional experience, or 5+ years working directly on developing real-time control applications in distributed environments, preferably for aerospace or industrial automation
• Expertise in C/C++ development, proficiency in Python
• Deep knowledge of Linux systems & kernel, expertise with real-time operation through PREEMPT_RT
• Experience with configuration management and deployment of Linux systems and software using Buildroot or Yocto, and containerization using Docker
• Experience with CMake build system
• Experience with Git for source control
• Proficiency with embedded electronics prototyping equipment and processes:  flashing software to MCUs, use of multimeters, oscilloscopes and logic analyzers, basic soldering & wiring skills
• Proven ability to take ownership of project success and see work through to completion
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Must be a self-starter, able to decompose moderately complex projects into individual tasks and processes

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of C/C++ language standards, up to and including C++17
• Familiarity with Behavior Driven Development (BDD) and Test Driven Development (TDD) processes
• Proficiency with Doxygen and/or PlantUML for generating design documentation
• Proficiency with Conan for C/C++ package management
• Experience with MATLAB, in particular Simulink Coder
• Experience with at least one Data Distribution Service (DDS) implementation
• Proficiency with time-series databases such as InfluxDB, and Grafana for data visualization

This role is on-site in Tucson, AZ, for 40 hours per week, with occasional extended hours to support critical activities such as launches and vehicle testing.

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Phantom, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

 

Salary and Benefits

We are competitive in compensation and offer equity as part of the package. We have competitive benefits that include health, vision, dental, 401K in comparison to other startups.

 

ITAR Requirements

This position requires compliance with U.S. Government space technology trade restrictions, specifically the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and additional regulations governing satellite, launch vehicle, missile, and other related technologies.  All jobs restricted by these regulations will be contingent upon the applicant’s status as a documented U.S. Person or their ability to receive a trade license from the cognizant government agency; in addition to any required company background checks and in compliance with applicable U.S. laws.  Similarly, positions requiring the ability to work on government contracts or a security clearance are also contingent upon the applicants ability to receive the appropriate clearance and be allowed to work on U.S. government contracts.

 

The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.