Staff/Principal Flight Software Engineer (IV/V)

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond! Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Flight Software Engineer to join our growing team. Reporting to the Flight Software Engineering Manager, the Flight Software Engineer will become an integral part of our dynamic team, driving the development of cutting-edge nano-satellite vehicle solutions across a variety of exciting projects. Your expertise will be pivotal in advancing our innovative technologies and contributing to the success of our mission-critical initiatives. This role is preferred to work on-site for team synergy and access to hardware, however remote work is possible after a sufficient period of onboarding. Key Duties and Responsibilities Collaborate with multiple engineering teams to establish software requirements Perform as the technical lead of a satellite program Lead a team of junior software engineers, providing mentorship and tasking Design, develop, and maintain simple, reliable, and fault-tolerant software Develop software for unique payloads, such as imagers, image processors, communication devices, and various astronomical science instruments. Create comprehensive unit and regression tests in existing frameworks Integrate and test software in simulation, flight replica, flight vehicle, and hardware-in-the-loop environments Communicate with the customer in technical working groups Potential 10% travel to visit customers or vendors for Design Reviews and collaborative technical work Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent field. 8+ years (Staff Engineer - Level 4) of experience developing C++ applications for embedded, high-performance, or critical systems. 12+ years (Principal Engineer - Level 5) of experience developing C++ applications for embedded, high-performance, or critical systems. Prior experience using GitHub or similar Git tool. Highly motivated, self-starting, responsible, thorough, and able to perform duties autonomously without supervision. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance. Additional Differentiators Hands‑on Linux kernel development experience, specifically with low‑level driver subsystems. Demonstrated expertise working with UART or serial communication drivers within the Linux kernel.Experience integrating or modifying kernel interactions with hardware abstraction layers such as PIM modules or equivalent middleware.Ability to debug and trace kernel‑space issues related to device communication paths (UART, SPI, I2C, etc.).Experience supporting early‑stage or evolving hardware/firmware platforms (e.g., FCM+ or similar module frameworks). Experience using ARM and Texas Instruments platforms for embedded systems. Experience with test equipment, oscilloscopes, and spectrum analyzers. Experience with Linux and GNU tools such as make GCC and debuggers such as GDB. Experience with scripting languages such as bash and Python. Familiarity with build pipelines, deployment and testing on-target. Familiarity with Serial Communications - CAN, RS-422/485, I2C, SPI, PCI, SpaceWire. Salary Ranges Staff Flight Software Engineer (Level IV) - $150k to $190k Principal Flight Software Engineer (Level V) - $170k to…