Senior Software Engineer, Simulation

Capella Space stands at the forefront of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology and signal intelligence. We provide customers in governments, academia, and commercial sectors with reliable information that enables unparalleled understanding of the world. Our mission is centered on delivering timely and reliable Earth imagery, supporting diverse applications in defense & intelligence, disaster response, energy, environmental monitoring and more. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, Capella Space designs, manufactures and operates an advanced constellation of SAR imaging satellites. Our market-leading SAR satellites are complemented by an unmatched data infrastructure and automated ordering and delivery platform for fast, reliable insights where and when customers need it most. 

Recognized for our technological prowess, Capella Space was honored as one of the 10 most innovative companies in Space in 2023 by FASTCOMPANY. Capella Space is an internationally trusted Earth Observation data provider, working closely with the U.S. Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Force, NASA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the Canadian Government and more to make unclassified, high-resolution SAR data more accessible.  

What Makes Capella Unique? 

Capella Space is a highly collaborative team environment, providing an opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the space industry, though no prior space experience is needed.  We’re looking for people excited about tackling seemingly impossible challenges, learning new skills and concepts, and helping each other achieve success. Our mission and our products are meant to understand the whole world and help everyone in it - regardless of race, creed, or any other distinction. We encourage you to bring your unique perspective to help make us stronger, including applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. 

About the Role & Team  

The Space Systems & Design Team is a multidisciplinary team within the Engineering department. We are the "Glue" Crew – a multidisciplinary team focused on spacecraft systems engineering and integrated vehicle and mission design. Our functions currently include Systems Engineering, Thermal Engineering, and Harness Design Engineering. 

Capella is seeking a software systems engineer with experience developing and validating simulators or digital twins of ground network, spacecraft, and constellation systems. You will have significant responsibility and autonomy to reverse engineer our ground software, production scheduling pipeline, and spacecraft performance in order to build a reliable, robust, and widely usable simulator of our system of systems. The tools you create and validate will be used to design and analyze cutting edge radar satellites. This role will primarily involve reading, evaluating, and writing code, but will require occasional design of hardware tests to validate the software, as well as modeling and design of spacecraft and constellation systems. You will work closely with our Ground Software, Customer Engagement, and Space Systems teams to develop software solutions that accurately simulate or emulate our complex system of systems. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the advancement of space technology and play a key role in the success of Capella Space. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Statistics, or a related field. 
• Strong proficiency with Python with an emphasis on clean and reusable code. 
• Experience developing and maintaining physics-based simulation tools or digital twins of complex systems. 
• Ability to translate mission- or system-level requirements into simulation architectures to support system design, trade studies, and performance assessment. 
• Experience designing or leading test campaigns to generate validation datasets for simulation tools. 
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills 
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills 
• Ability and eagerness to learn new systems quickly and apply new skills to your work in an efficient manner 
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git, gitlab, and CI/CD pipelines) 

Nice-to-Have 

• Ability to design, configure, and optimize software systems for high-performance computing environments, including implementing parallel processing strategies for CPU and GPU execution. 
• Experience using or developing application programming interfaces (API's) 
• Familiarity with the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model for application software development 
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration platforms (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes) 
• Data structures and algorithms coursework 
• Aerospace or astronautics coursework 
• Mathematical optimization: linear programming 
• Data Science, Machine Learning, or Data Analytics experience 

Compensation 

The annual salary range for this role as it is posted is $124,000 - $165,000.  The final job level and annual salary will be determined based on the education, qualification, knowledge, skills, ability, and experience of the final candidate(s), specific office location and calibrated against relevant market data and internal team equity.  Benefits listed in this posting may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Capella Space.    

Benefits/Perks 

In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

• We provide extensive medical coverage, including strong vision and dental plans, flexible spending accounts, and additional supplemental health options.
• Stock option grants for new hires 
• 401K Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals
• Generous Parental Leave 
• Paid Flexible Time Off Policy 
• Lifestyle Spending Account 
• Commuter & Parking Benefits 
• Mental Health Resources 
• Monthly Phone Stipend 
• Daily provided lunches and stocked kitchens. 
• Furry friends? We’ve got you covered with dog-friendly work environment & them with pet insurance options

Equal Opportunity Statement 

Capella Space is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and upholding equitable hiring practices. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic under federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply, and we work to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all applicants throughout the interview process. If you need assistance or require an accommodation during the job application process, please notify recruiting@capellaspace.com 

To learn more about us, explore our site: https://www.capellaspace.com/  and follow us on X and LinkedIn to see our SAR imagery!