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Embedded Software Engineer

Cowboy Space Corporation· Software Engineering
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San Carlos, CA or Kent, WA$130k - $185kFull-timePosted 4w ago

About the role

Embedded Software Engineer responsible for real-time software for spacecraft subsystems, including power distribution and thermal control, with full lifecycle ownership from board bring-up to in-flight firmware updates in a high-ownership, space-grade environment.

Responsibilities

  • Own embedded software for spacecraft subsystems from concept through on-orbit operations
  • Design, develop, and debug real-time embedded software for microcontroller-based avionics boards in both FreeRTOS and bare-metal environments
  • Implement low-level drivers, peripheral interfaces, and real-time control loops for power distribution, thermal control, sensors, and actuators
  • Build and maintain software supporting board bring-up as well as safe, robust in-field and in-flight firmware update mechanisms
  • Integrate with and develop robust command and telemetry infrastructure
  • Work deeply at the software-to-hardware boundary: read schematics, understand pinouts, drive physical hardware, and diagnose issues that could originate in firmware or hardware
  • Build robust, fault-tolerant systems with attention to reliability, determinism, and performance in constrained environments
  • Support board bring-up, hardware integration, and hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing
  • Develop automated test frameworks and validation tooling for embedded systems
  • Collaborate closely with electrical, avionics, and software teams to define system architecture and interfaces
  • Investigate anomalies, perform root cause analysis, and implement fixes across hardware/software boundaries
  • Contribute to system-level design, including fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) strategies

Qualifications

  • 3+ years of experience (or equivalent practical experience) in embedded software or firmware development
  • Strong programming skills in C/C++ for embedded systems
  • Experience developing for embedded microcontrollers, including work with RTOS-based (e.g., FreeRTOS) and/or bare-metal environments
  • Comfort working at the hardware boundary: reading schematics, using debugging tools (JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers), and reasoning about electrical behavior
  • Experience with hardware/software integration and board bring-up
  • Ability to own a subsystem largely independently after ramp-up

Skills

Required:Embedded C/C++RTOS development (FreeRTOS)Hardware/software integrationDebugging tools

Benefits

  • Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents
  • 401(k) retirement savings plan
  • Paid time off
  • 10 paid holidays per calendar year
  • Paid parental leave
  • Relocation assistance if applicable
  • Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks
Last updated Oct 18, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Cowboy Space Corporation

Powering Humanity From the High Frontier

Cowboy Space Corp. is building a power grid in outer space for artificial intelligence. It is an integrated system of satellites and rockets to haul high-performance compute and optical data transmission down from Low Earth Orbit. Earth's energy grid can't run at the pace of AI. We can.

Orbital Data CentersAI compute in spacesolar-powered data centersLow Earth Orbitpower grid in space
Company profileWebsite

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