Principal Software Engineer- Flight Systems

Principal Software Engineer – Space Systems Location: Greater Denver, CO (on-site 3–5 days/week) Salary: $160k–$195k + bonus + benefits + relocation A fast-growing space-technology company is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead architecture and development of ground and flight software for lunar and deep-space missions. This is a high-impact role influencing technical direction across multiple mission programs. What You’ll Do Lead architecture decisions and guide software best practices across the organization. Develop flight software (cFS, embedded Linux), ground systems (Python, modern web frameworks), and cloud/embedded ML or autonomy systems. Own full lifecycle delivery: requirements, development, testing, integration, and ops. Provide technical proposals, estimates, and cross-team coordination. Mentor and uplift junior engineers. What We’re Looking For 15+ years in spacecraft, mission control, or complex aerospace software systems. Expertise in C/C++ and Python. Experience with embedded Linux, real-time/flight software, and preferably NASA cFS. Knowledge of cloud services (AWS), containerization, version control, and Agile processes. Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and operate within rigorous engineering standards. U.S. Citizenship and eligibility for a Security Clearance; must meet export-control requirements. Benefits Competitive compensation + signing bonus Health insurance 401(k) Flexible time off Quarterly incentives Relocation support