Junior Software Engineer (Flight & Ground Systems)
Location: Webster, TX (Houston area)
Relocation Assistance: Not available at this time
Remote/Telework: No – Onsite required
Clearance Required: None
Citizenship/Residency Requirement: Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident with the ability to successfully complete a government background check.
Employment Type: Full-time, Salaried, Exempt
Work Schedule: Day Shift
Position Summary
Aegis Aerospace, Inc. is seeking an early-career Junior Software Engineer to join our Space Flight Systems (SFS) team in Webster, Texas. The SFS team develops and operates commercial spaceflight platforms that enable customers to test technologies, obtain spaceflight heritage, reduce technical risk, and conduct scientific research in space and on the surface of the Moon. The selected candidate will work with experienced engineers to design, develop, integrate, test, and maintain embedded flight software and supporting ground applications for platforms such as the MISSE Flight Facility (MISSE-FF), TAMU-SPIRIT, and the Space Science and Technology Evaluation Facility (SSTEF). This position provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with embedded Linux development, custom circuit-board integration, ground control and monitoring software, user interfaces, network communications, automated testing, avionics, flight hardware, and space operations.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, test, document, and maintain software for spaceflight equipment and supporting ground systems under the guidance of experienced team members.
- Develop and modify embedded Linux applications for custom circuit boards, avionics, and spaceflight hardware.
- Support the development and maintenance of ground applications used to command, control, and monitor flight hardware and customer experiments.
- Assist with the development of user interfaces, network communications, automation scripts, test software, and fault-detection capabilities.
- Work with electrical engineers to bring new circuit-board designs online, develop required software interfaces, and troubleshoot hardware and software integration issues.
- Collaborate with integration engineers, designers, customers, and principal investigators throughout payload development, integration, verification, and testing.
- Help ensure that customer experiments and payloads meet applicable ISS and MISSE requirements, can be successfully integrated, and will function as intended on orbit.
- Support MISSE avionics design, upgrades, maintenance, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting.
- Assemble and test flight hardware and ground support equipment when required.
- Assist with planning and conducting environmental testing of spaceflight hardware.
- Participate in reviews of electrical, embedded-circuit, software, and system designs and contribute constructive technical feedback.
- Support the design and integration of electronics and software interfaces for customer experiments and payloads.
- Support hardware manufacturing, assembly, integration, verification, and testing activities.
- Assist with on-orbit operations and the troubleshooting of customer experiments, payloads, avionics, and supporting software.
- Develop technical documentation and prepare clear, concise reports describing assigned tasks, technical findings, risks, and progress.
- Communicate daily activities, technical issues, and relevant updates to other team members.
- Travel as necessary to support program and mission requirements.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Up to three years of relevant software-engineering experience. Recent graduates with applicable coursework, internships, co-ops, research, or project experience are encouraged to apply.
- Academic, internship, project, or professional experience using C++ and Python.
- Familiarity with Linux operating systems and embedded software development.
- Familiarity with structured software development, version control, configuration management, and software testing.
- Basic understanding of one or more of the following: user-interface development, network communication protocols, embedded systems, or software that interfaces with custom hardware.
- Ability to interpret technical requirements, learn unfamiliar systems, and develop software solutions with appropriate guidance.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, time-management, organizational, and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently on assigned tasks while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Self-motivated, dependable, accountable, and willing to learn new technologies.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Ability and willingness to work onsite and travel as required.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and able to successfully complete a government background check.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Internship, co-op, research, laboratory, senior-design, or professional experience involving embedded software, avionics, electronics, or hardware integration.
- Exposure to NASA requirements, verification, or flight-certification processes.
- Coursework or experience involving flight hardware, spacecraft payloads, ground-control systems, or other mission-critical systems.
- Experience supporting payload integration, hardware testing, environmental testing, or on-orbit operations.
- Familiarity with electrical components, spaceflight environmental effects, avionics, electrical interfaces, or communication protocols.
- Experience using analog or digital electronic test equipment.
- Previous aerospace or spaceflight-industry experience, including experience obtained through internships, research, or academic projects.
