MERITUS are recuriting for a Flight Software Engineer to join our client in the space sector from their site in Berkshire.
FLIGHT SOFTWARE ENGINEER - SPACE SECTOR - £60,000 / £70,000 PER ANNUM - READING, ONSITE - PRIVATE HEALTHCARE, PERFORMANCE BONUS
A rapidly growing space technology company is seeking a Flight Software Engineer to develop and own the onboard software that governs spacecraft behaviour. This role focuses on real-time control, autonomy, mode management, and core flight applications that coordinate all satellite subsystems.
You will design, implement, and test robust flight software on RTOS or Embedded Linux platforms, taking systems from simulation through launch and on-orbit operations within a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
Key Responsibilities
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Design and develop flight software in C/C++ and/or Rust for RTOS or Embedded Linux
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Implement real-time control flows, autonomy, mode management, and fault-tolerant services
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Translate mission and system requirements into deterministic, testable software
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Integrate software with spacecraft hardware using common embedded interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN/CAN-FD, GPIO)
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Develop unit, integration, SIL/HIL tests and support hardware-in-the-loop validation
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Support software bring-up, system integration, launch preparation, and on-orbit operations
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Contribute to software architecture, code reviews, CI/CD pipelines, and observability/logging strategies
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Own flight software end-to-end, from design through operations support and iterative updates
Essential Requirements
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Professional experience developing production embedded or real-time software in C/C++ or Rust
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Experience working with RTOS or Embedded Linux environments
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Strong understanding of real-time concepts: scheduling, interrupts, concurrency, and determinism
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Experience integrating software with on-board computers and high-speed buses (e.g. CAN-FD, SpaceWire, SPI, LVDS)
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Hands-on experience with unit, integration, and HIL testing, delivered via CI/CD pipelines
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Strong software engineering fundamentals including architecture, debugging, static analysis, and version control
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Ability to work across the full software lifecycle in a cross-disciplinary engineering team
Desirable Experience
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Exposure to spacecraft flight software frameworks (e.g. cFS, F´, or similar architectures)
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Knowledge of autonomy, fault management, watchdogs, redundancy, and safe-mode design
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GNC/AOCS-adjacent experience (sensor/actuator pipelines, control loops, timing analysis)
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Experience with simulators, digital twins, SIL/HIL environments, or on-orbit operations
Package & Working Pattern
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Competitive salary with equity/options
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Comprehensive benefits package (including private healthcare)
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Hybrid working model (typically 1 day per week remote)
