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Flight Software Engineer

Astrion
Washington, DC Other
POSTED ON 5/29/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 3/9/2027
Overview

Flight Software Engineer 

LOCATION: Hybrid (Kirtland AFB, NM), Remote U.S. eligible 

JOB STATUS: Full-time 

CLEARANCE: U.S. Citizenship, DoD Secret Clearance 

TRAVEL: 10% (if remote) 

 

Astrion is seeking a Flight Software Engineer to support small satellite flight software development for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base. 

This engineer will contribute to the design, development, and testing of satellite bus software supporting experimental and research missions. The role is ideal for a mid- to senior-level software engineer with experience developing embedded or flight software for spacecraft or other real-time systems. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS 

Education: 

Bachelor of Science in one of the following or a related technical field: 

  • Software Engineering 
  • Computer Science 
  • Electrical Engineering 
  • Aerospace Engineering 

Experience: 

  • Minimum 5 years of professional software development experience 
  • Experience developing embedded or flight software in C or C  
  • Experience with satellite bus or payload software development 
  • Familiarity with spacecraft subsystems and interfaces (power, communications, command and data handling, ADCS, etc.) 
  • Experience working with real-time operating systems 
  • Experience with hardware/software integration or low-level driver development 
  • Experience with scripting languages such as Python, Perl, or similar 

Core Competencies: 

  • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills 
  • Ability to produce secure, maintainable, high-quality code 
  • Comfortable working in small, agile engineering teams 
  • Effective communicator with both technical and non-technical stakeholders 
  • Self-directed and adaptable in a research and development environment 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS 

  • Experience with the VxWorks real-time operating system 
  • Experience with other embedded real-time systems such as RTEMS 
  • Master’s degree in a relevant technical field 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Design, develop, test, and maintain embedded flight software for small satellite bus systems 
  • Execute tasking from the satellite Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) lead 
  • Coordinate with other flight software engineers and subsystem teams 
  • Implement best practices for code quality, maintainability, and cybersecurity 
  • Develop and maintain technical documentation, including interface specifications and user guides 
  • Participate in unit testing, code reviews, and system validation 

Hourly Wage Estimation for Flight Software Engineer in Washington, DC
$65.00 to $79.00
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