Flight Software Engineer
Location: Oxfordshire
Salary: Competitive (dependent on experience)
We are working with an innovative space technology company based in Oxford who are developing advanced in-orbit systems to support next-generation space missions.
As part of continued programme growth, they are looking to appoint a Flight Software Engineer to develop embedded flight software and firmware supporting upcoming missions. This is a critical role focused on delivering reliable, mission-ready software that performs essential functions in orbit.
This opportunity would suit someone who thrives in a hands-on engineering environment and enjoys taking software from architecture through to validation and deployment on real hardware.
The Role
You will be responsible for developing embedded flight software and firmware across the full product lifecycle — from early architecture and design through to testing and mission support.
Key responsibilities include:
Developing critical embedded flight software
Architecting, planning, and implementing firmware and software solutions aligned with mission CONOPS
Implementing and testing software to ensure compliance with system requirements
Supporting overall system design decisions from a flight software perspective
Leading software tasks within Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) testing campaigns
Supporting internal software tool development for mission analysis and testing
Producing clear documentation covering structure and functionality of flight software
Interfacing directly with customers (government and commercial)
Managing software tasks and coordinating with contractors and suppliers
What They’re Looking For
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Software, Aerospace Engineering (or similar) with 4+ years of experience
OR
Master’s degree with 3+ years of experience
Demonstrated experience in embedded flight software development, including:
Bare-metal C programming
Development on ARM Cortex processors
Experience with RTOS or Embedded Linux
Low-level driver development (SPI, UART, I2C, CAN, etc.)
Hardware integration including actuators and sensors
Hardware-in-the-Loop development and testing
Experience working in multidisciplinary engineering teams
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Desirable Experience
Experience leading or mentoring software engineers
Experience writing software for radiation environments
Background in startup or agile development environments
Experience with MATLAB, Python, Linux
Familiarity with Git, Jira, Confluence
Knowledge of spacecraft command and telemetry systems