EraDrive’s goal is to revolutionize spaceflight through autonomy. EraDrive builds autonomy software and hardware that let spacecraft see, decide, and act with minimal human control. Our software is already flying in space, and we are growing it into a product family that covers rendezvous, on-orbit inspection, and space based sensing. You will be one of the early members of the EraDrive engineering team.
We're looking for a low-level embedded software engineer who will own the core firmware and embedded software foundation of Era-Node, our flight autonomy module. You will be responsible for taking the embedded architecture from a blank sheet of paper all the way into orbit. This means writing the device drivers, custom RTOS/bare-metal code, and deterministic state machines that interface our star trackers and compute systems with the host spacecraft.
This is a 0->1 role. You will define the firmware architecture, write the low-level hardware interfaces, and implement the logic that orchestrates microsecond-level sensor timing and serial communications. Crucially, you will bridge the gap between hardware and high-level autonomy by optimizing low-level compute pipelines, ensuring our onboard AI and GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) algorithms run with maximum efficiency and minimal latency. You will work closely with the payload hardware and autonomy teams to ensure the software layer flawlessly manages hardware resources in the harsh, radiation-prone environment of space.
Own the end-to-end embedded software architecture for Era-Node, developing highly reliable bare-metal and RTOS-based firmware in C/C++.
Optimize low-level compute pipelines, memory access patterns (e.g., DMA), and hardware accelerators to maximize performance and execution speed for onboard GNC algorithms and AI/ML computer vision models.
Write and optimize low-level hardware drivers for image sensors, compute modules, memory devices, and spacecraft interfaces.
Develop deterministic state machines and low-level logic to handle precise timing systems, interrupt routines, and hardware synchronization across multiple optical sensors and compute nodes.
Implement, debug, and optimize robust serial communications software stacks spanning inter-board and spacecraft-to-payload links (e.g., RS-422, SpaceWire, CAN, SPI, I2C, UART).
Implement software-level fault tolerance and radiation mitigation strategies, such as watchdog timers, memory scrubbing, and error handling for Single Event Upset (SEU) bit flips.
Lead board bring-up for custom hardware, using debuggers (JTAG/SWD), oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers to verify hardware-software integration and timing constraints.
Architect and implement microsecond-precise software timing and hardware triggering systems to flawlessly synchronize data capture between flight cameras and motion hardware on our robotic lab testbeds.
Develop hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test platforms that integrate flight computers, sensors, cameras.
Support environmental test campaigns (thermal vacuum, vibration) by writing automated test scripts and diagnostic firmware to validate hardware health during stress testing.
A degree in computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, mechatronics, or a closely related field.
Proven experience developing embedded software for custom hardware from initial bring-up through deployment (preferably for space, aerospace, robotics, or high-reliability applications).
Deep understanding of hardware-software interfaces and low-level state machine design, with deep proficiency in writing bare-metal and RTOS-based C/C++.
Experience optimizing embedded systems for computationally heavy workloads (e.g., GNC, computer vision, AI/ML), including familiarity with hardware acceleration, SIMD, memory bandwidth optimization, and managing real-time constraints.
Extensive hands-on experience implementing and debugging device drivers for serial communications protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, RS-422/RS-485, etc.).
Strong fundamentals in microcontroller/microprocessor architectures, memory management, bootloaders, and interrupt-driven programming.
Direct experience with the realities of writing software for space: handling radiation effects (SEUs), implementing fault-tolerant code, and designing for systems that cannot be physically reset or repaired.
High comfort level using embedded debugging tools (JTAG, SWD, GDB) and basic lab test equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers) to troubleshoot code directly on the metal.
Clear communication and documentation habits, with the ability to collaborate closely with electrical, systems, and autonomy engineers.
Experience with specific edge AI/ML accelerators, GPU programming (CUDA), or Neural Processing Units (NPUs) in a space or high-reliability context.
Experience with FPGA development (Verilog/VHDL) or writing software that interfaces closely with FPGAs for high-speed data routing.
Experience with embedded Linux, writing custom kernel modules, or device tree configuration.
Having written core flight software or firmware for a successfully deployed spacecraft payload.
EraDrive’s goal is to revolutionize spaceflight through autonomy. EraDrive builds autonomy software and hardware that let spacecraft see, decide, and act with minimal human control. Our software is already flying in space, and we are growing it into a product family that covers rendezvous, on-orbit inspection, and space based sensing. You will be one of the early members of the EraDrive engineering team.
EraDrive is delivering multiple flight hardware payloads (“Era-Nodes”) which enable on-orbit autonomy for government and commercial customers. You will lead the end-to-end systems engineering and technical execution, from requirements definition through design, implementation, qualification, host spacecraft integration, and on-orbit operations. You will own the system architecture, interfaces, verification strategy, technical baseline, and risk posture across mechanical, thermal, electrical, software, autonomy, and operations domains. Internally, you will coordinate EraDrive's engineering team and drive cross-disciplinary decisions. Externally, you will be the primary technical interface to vendors, the host spacecraft bus team, and the program sponsor. This is a hands-on technical leadership role: you will work in the details, close interfaces and requirements, lead reviews and test campaigns, and ensure every Era-Node is delivered as a qualified, integrated, operable flight system.
* Lead the design, implementation, qualification, integration, and operational readiness of multiple Era-Node flight units.
* Translate mission and customer objectives into system architecture, concept of operation, requirements, and acceptance criteria.
* Define and control internal and external interfaces across the mechanical, thermal, power, data, timing, software, autonomy, and operations domains.
* Coordinate the GNC, software, AI/ML, mechatronics, hardware, and test teams; lead system trades, technical decisions, design reviews, and issue resolution.
* Serve as EraDrive's technical point of contact to suppliers and manufacturing partners, the host bus provider, and the government sponsor and customers; lead technical interchange meetings, technical tracking, and delivery.
* Develop and execute the assembly, integration, and V&V strategy for engineering units and flight units, from subsystem to end-to-end testing.
* Plan and lead environmental qualification and acceptance campaigns.
* Own system-level risk management and resolution multiple flight units.
* Lead integration with the host spacecraft and ground segment, including command, telemetry, operational procedures, and flight readiness activities.
* Support launch, commissioning, and operations by reviewing telemetry, investigating anomalies, and feeding lessons learned into subsequent units.
* A degree in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a closely related field.
* Experience leading end-to-end development for satellite buses, hosted payloads, avionics, or flight hardware, from concept through qualification, integration, and operations.
* Multidisciplinary understanding of mechanical, thermal, electrical, data, timing, software, autonomy, and spacecraft operations interfaces.
* Experience with system trades, interface control, requirements and verification management, risk management, and formal technical reviews.
* Experience managing the technical baseline for multiple flight units or a small production run.
* Experience planning and executing functional and environmental test campaigns, including anomaly investigation and verification closure.
* Ability to coordinate and communicate technical status between internal teams and external vendors, bus providers, program sponsors, and customers.
* Clear, concise technical writing and presentation skills, with the ability to move between detailed engineering work and program-level technical leadership in a small, fast-moving team.
* Experience integrating a hosted payload with a commercial or government spacecraft bus.
* Experience with U.S. Government or national-security space programs and their technical review, data, and mission-assurance processes.
* Experience with optical sensing payloads, cameras, embedded processors, precision timing hardware, radio crosslinks, or onboard autonomy systems.
* Experience with model-based systems engineering and requirements-management tools.
* Familiarity with spacecraft reliability, FMEA, radiation effects, EEE parts, supply-chain risk, and production quality controls.
* Having supported launch-site integration, on-orbit commissioning, or sustained spacecraft payload operations.
","descriptionPlain":"EraDrive’s goal is to revolutionize spaceflight through autonomy. EraDrive builds autonomy software and hardware that let spacecraft see, decide, and act with minimal human control. Our software is already flying in space, and we are growing it into a product family that covers rendezvous, on-orbit inspection, and space based sensing. You will be one of the early members of the EraDrive engineering team.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ROLE\n\nEraDrive is delivering multiple flight hardware payloads (“Era-Nodes”) which enable on-orbit autonomy for government and commercial customers. You will lead the end-to-end systems engineering and technical execution, from requirements definition through design, implementation, qualification, host spacecraft integration, and on-orbit operations. You will own the system architecture, interfaces, verification strategy, technical baseline, and risk posture across mechanical, thermal, electrical, software, autonomy, and operations domains. Internally, you will coordinate EraDrive's engineering team and drive cross-disciplinary decisions. Externally, you will be the primary technical interface to vendors, the host spacecraft bus team, and the program sponsor. This is a hands-on technical leadership role: you will work in the details, close interfaces and requirements, lead reviews and test campaigns, and ensure every Era-Node is delivered as a qualified, integrated, operable flight system.\n\n\n\n\nWHAT YOU WILL DO\n\n* Lead the design, implementation, qualification, integration, and operational readiness of multiple Era-Node flight units.\n\n* Translate mission and customer objectives into system architecture, concept of operation, requirements, and acceptance criteria.\n\n* Define and control internal and external interfaces across the mechanical, thermal, power, data, timing, software, autonomy, and operations domains.\n\n* Coordinate the GNC, software, AI/ML, mechatronics, hardware, and test teams; lead system trades, technical decisions, design reviews, and issue resolution.\n\n* Serve as EraDrive's technical point of contact to suppliers and manufacturing partners, the host bus provider, and the government sponsor and customers; lead technical interchange meetings, technical tracking, and delivery.\n\n* Develop and execute the assembly, integration, and V&V strategy for engineering units and flight units, from subsystem to end-to-end testing.\n\n* Plan and lead environmental qualification and acceptance campaigns.\n\n* Own system-level risk management and resolution multiple flight units.\n\n* Lead integration with the host spacecraft and ground segment, including command, telemetry, operational procedures, and flight readiness activities.\n\n* Support launch, commissioning, and operations by reviewing telemetry, investigating anomalies, and feeding lessons learned into subsequent units.\n\n\n\n\nWHAT YOU BRING\n\n* A degree in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a closely related field.\n\n* Experience leading end-to-end development for satellite buses, hosted payloads, avionics, or flight hardware, from concept through qualification, integration, and operations.\n\n* Multidisciplinary understanding of mechanical, thermal, electrical, data, timing, software, autonomy, and spacecraft operations interfaces.\n\n* Experience with system trades, interface control, requirements and verification management, risk management, and formal technical reviews.\n\n* Experience managing the technical baseline for multiple flight units or a small production run.\n\n* Experience planning and executing functional and environmental test campaigns, including anomaly investigation and verification closure.\n\n* Ability to coordinate and communicate technical status between internal teams and external vendors, bus providers, program sponsors, and customers.\n\n* Clear, concise technical writing and presentation skills, with the ability to move between detailed engineering work and program-level technical leadership in a small, fast-moving team.\n\n\n\n\nBONUS\n\n* Experience integrating a hosted payload with a commercial or government spacecraft bus.\n\n* Experience with U.S. Government or national-security space programs and their technical review, data, and mission-assurance processes.\n\n* Experience with optical sensing payloads, cameras, embedded processors, precision timing hardware, radio crosslinks, or onboard autonomy systems.\n\n* Experience with model-based systems engineering and requirements-management tools.\n\n* Familiarity with spacecraft reliability, FMEA, radiation effects, EEE parts, supply-chain risk, and production quality controls.\n\n* Having supported launch-site integration, on-orbit commissioning, or sustained spacecraft payload operations.","compensation":{"compensationTierSummary":null,"scrapeableCompensationSalarySummary":null,"compensationTiers":[],"summaryComponents":[]}}],"apiVersion":"1"}