Cowboy Space
Embedded Software Engineer
$130K–$185K
San Carlos, California · On-site · Full-time · Posted Sep 24, 2026
- Experience
- 3+ years, or equivalent practical experience.
- Education
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field (preferred).
- Visa sponsorship
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations to comply with ITAR export-control requirements.
About the job
Own and develop real-time embedded software for spacecraft subsystems, from board bring-up and hardware integration through on-orbit operations and firmware updates.
What you'll do
- Develop drivers, peripheral interfaces, and control loops for avionics subsystems, including power distribution and thermal control.
- Debug hardware/software integration, support board bring-up and HITL testing, and build automated test and validation tools.
- Develop reliable command, telemetry, and firmware update systems; investigate anomalies and contribute to FDIR strategies.
What they ask for
- 3+ years of embedded software or firmware development experience, or equivalent practical experience.
- Strong C/C++ programming skills for embedded systems.
- Experience with microcontrollers in RTOS-based and/or bare-metal environments.
- Experience reading schematics, using debugging tools, and performing hardware/software integration and board bring-up.
Nice to have
- Experience in aerospace, automotive, robotics, or other high-reliability systems.
- Experience with embedded protocols, firmware updates, HITL testing, or test automation; Rust interest or experience is a plus.
Pay
$130,000 - $185,000 annually (USD, base salary)
Tools
C/C++, FreeRTOS, JTAG, SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Python
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative