Software Engineer (On-board Autonomy)

Software Engineer – On-Board Autonomy | San Francisco

A cutting-edge space company is seeking a Software Engineer – On-Board Autonomy to help shape the future of spacecraft autonomy. This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of AI, robotics, and aerospace, developing systems that allow spacecraft to think and act intelligently in orbit.

The Role

You’ll join a team building the decision-making systems at the heart of next-generation autonomy software. Expect to:

• Design and implement real-time decision-making models for spacecraft.
• Build algorithms that combine perception, estimation, and prediction layers to guide mission actions.
• Research and deploy ML/AI models ranging from classical algorithms to deep learning.
• Adapt large models for lightweight deployment on edge hardware (e.g. Jetson platforms).
• Contribute to autonomy infrastructure, testing frameworks, and deployment pipelines.
  
  

About You

We’re looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of software and autonomy:

• Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, Aerospace, or related field.
• 2 years in aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems.
• Strong coding in C and Python, with applied experience in PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Understanding of both classical autonomy methods and modern ML/DL approaches.
• Experience in real-time decision-making, planning, optimal control, or reinforcement learning.
  
  

Bonus Points For

• Background in autonomous vehicles, UAVs, maritime robotics, or defense autonomy.
• Experience with real-time systems, edge deployment, or safety-critical software.
• Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, and distributed training.
  
  

Why Apply?

This Is Your Chance To

• Work on some of the most advanced autonomy challenges in aerospace.
• See your models running in-orbit on real spacecraft.
• Be part of a team pioneering a new era of intelligent space operations.