Payload Flight Software Lead

Work Location: Onsite in Manhattan Beach, CA

Duration: 14 months Terms: W2 Contract Work Authorisation: US Citizen; must hold a current/active Top Secret-SCI security clearance

Key Skills: VxWorks, Embedded C/C++, MIL-STD-1553, SpaceWire, flight software, TS/SCI

Responsibilities: Lead the design, architecture, development, integration, test and verification of flight software solutions for embedded and real-time systems. Specifically, you will produce and maintain architectural artifacts (block diagrams, interface control documents, traceability matrices, and trade studies).You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams—including Systems Engineering, Hardware, and Integration & Test. You will analyze system capabilities to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to program intent, output requirements, data acquisition, programming methods, and control strategies. This position will include defining and architecting the system and will require close collaboration with team members of other projects within the organization for security architecture designs, as well as external partners and customers. The ideal candidate will have the ability to support the architecture, development, and lifecycle management of embedded and real-time systems. The candidate will be expected to understand system requirements, how they apply to system design, and to implement and debug software to meet defined completion criteria. The candidate will have demonstrated ability to define and evolve software architectures and possess strong troubleshooting skills for complex, integrated applications and test‑setup issues.

Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 12 years of relevant experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline with 10 years of relevant experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline with 10 years of relevant experience. Must hold an active Top Secret - SCI clearance at the time of application. Experience leading a software team. Expert level proficiency in embedded C/C++ development. Extensive experience with real-time operating systems like VxWorks. Full‐cycle software development proficiency from requirements to testing. Proficiency in creating and maintaining comprehensive software documentation throughout the development lifecycle. Proficiency in bus implementation and communication protocols such as 1553 and SpaceWire.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience with Cost Account Management (CAM).Experience in supporting or leading proposal activities. Proficiency in writing system requirements and making key tradeoffs in code efficiency, memory, and cost. Experience working in Agile software development. Experience with software development leveraging CI/CD pipeline tools such as Jenkins