Lodestar
Software Engineer - On-board Autonomy New Los Angeles/San Francisco, US
Lodestar, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
Lodestar's mission is to develop the first "Protect and Defend" capability for high-value space assets in orbit. Our flagship product, MITHRIL, is our hardware-agnostic, AI-enabled autonomy software suite that enables us to augment any off-the-shelf spacecraft with the ability to autonomously detect, characterise, and reversibly neutralise orbital threats. By building on the proven space heritage of our best-in-class satellite-bus partners and fully integrating MITHRIL into single unified platform, we deliver an end-to-end, autonomous in-space bodyguarding service.
About the Job
At Lodestar, as a Software Engineer - On-board Autonomy , youll be developing the decision-making systems at the heart of Lodestars autonomy suite. Youll focus on creating algorithms that evaluate mission context, system capabilities, and environmental conditions to recommend and execute optimal actions. These models adapt dynamically to changing conditions, enabling real-time autonomous decision-making even in communications-limited or uncertain environments. Your work will bridge perception, prediction, and control, allowing spacecraft to operate intelligently, efficiently, and resiliently across complex mission scenarios. What Youll Do
Design and implement on-board decision-making models that recommend and adapt strategies in real time Develop autonomous decision algorithms that integrate information from perception, state estimation, and intent prediction models to execute mission objectives Research and implement ML models for decision making - everything from lit. review, through training, to deployment Implement decision models that adapt dynamically to changing mission context, environmental conditions, and system status Develop frameworks for continuous re-evaluation of active strategies to ensure resilient and adaptive behavior under uncertainty Support real-time autonomy in communications-limited or time-critical scenarios Build and maintain autonomy infrastructure, testing frameworks, and deployment pipelines for space missions Basic Qualifications
Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, a related field, or equivalent experience 2+ years of distinguished industry experience in autonomy, decision-making, or control systems for aerospace/robotics Strong proficiency in C++ and Python and DL frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) Demonstrated experience with machine learning applied to decision-making or control problems Track record with optimal control, planning, or reinforcement learning in real-time systems Familiarity with multi-agent decision-making or planning under uncertainty Preferred Skills & Experience
Track record implementing autonomy applications in real-time or safety-critical environments Experience integrating perception and prediction outputs into decision frameworks Familiarity with resource-aware strategy selection and optimization under uncertainty Background in reinforcement learning, hierarchical planning, or adaptive control Experience with distributed training and cloud-based scaling of ML models (AWS, GCP, or Azure) Experience with Linux, Git, and CI/CD pipelines Comfortable with containerization tools such as Docker and Kubernetes Familiarity with real-time systems, multi-threading, and performance optimization Strong understanding of distributed autonomy, networking, and communication protocols Additional Requirements
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to support critical project milestones and deadlines To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITARhere . Pay Range:
(E1) Junior Software Engineer: $120,000 - $145,000 / year (E2) Software Engineer: $140,000 - $180,000 / year (E3) Senior Software Engineer: Competitive
Meaningful equity incentives as part of our employee option pool Flexible PTO with generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave 401(k) retirement plan with company match LA or San Francisco Additional Information
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options , and access to medical, vision and dental coverage , as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan . Lodestar is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Lodestar is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status. Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Lodestar? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Apply for this job
* indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Email * Phone Resume/CV * Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Education Degree * Select... End date year * LinkedIn Profile Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Website Lodestar Space is required to comply with US export compliance law including the International Traffic In Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). These regulations restrict whom Lodestar Space can share materials with, and whom can receive those materials. This includes hardware and information. Access to these materials is required to undertake roles at Lodestar Space; being unable to meet the export compliance requirements means that you will be ineligible to work for Lodestar Space. Do you consent to Lodestar Space requesting information regarding citizenship, passports and visas in order to proceed with your application? * Select... What citizenship(s) do you hold? Please select all that apply. * Select... What citizenship(s) have you previously held? Please select all that apply. * Select... Are you currently eligible to work in the United States of America? * Select... Do you now or in the future require visa sponsorship to continue working in the United States? * Select... Do any of the following designations apply to you: U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158? * Select... Do you have any previous or pending criminal convictions or charges (including drink or drug-related driving convictions) ? * Select... What is your notice period/ availability? * #J-18808-Ljbffr
At Lodestar, as a Software Engineer - On-board Autonomy , youll be developing the decision-making systems at the heart of Lodestars autonomy suite. Youll focus on creating algorithms that evaluate mission context, system capabilities, and environmental conditions to recommend and execute optimal actions. These models adapt dynamically to changing conditions, enabling real-time autonomous decision-making even in communications-limited or uncertain environments. Your work will bridge perception, prediction, and control, allowing spacecraft to operate intelligently, efficiently, and resiliently across complex mission scenarios. What Youll Do
Design and implement on-board decision-making models that recommend and adapt strategies in real time Develop autonomous decision algorithms that integrate information from perception, state estimation, and intent prediction models to execute mission objectives Research and implement ML models for decision making - everything from lit. review, through training, to deployment Implement decision models that adapt dynamically to changing mission context, environmental conditions, and system status Develop frameworks for continuous re-evaluation of active strategies to ensure resilient and adaptive behavior under uncertainty Support real-time autonomy in communications-limited or time-critical scenarios Build and maintain autonomy infrastructure, testing frameworks, and deployment pipelines for space missions Basic Qualifications
Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, a related field, or equivalent experience 2+ years of distinguished industry experience in autonomy, decision-making, or control systems for aerospace/robotics Strong proficiency in C++ and Python and DL frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) Demonstrated experience with machine learning applied to decision-making or control problems Track record with optimal control, planning, or reinforcement learning in real-time systems Familiarity with multi-agent decision-making or planning under uncertainty Preferred Skills & Experience
Track record implementing autonomy applications in real-time or safety-critical environments Experience integrating perception and prediction outputs into decision frameworks Familiarity with resource-aware strategy selection and optimization under uncertainty Background in reinforcement learning, hierarchical planning, or adaptive control Experience with distributed training and cloud-based scaling of ML models (AWS, GCP, or Azure) Experience with Linux, Git, and CI/CD pipelines Comfortable with containerization tools such as Docker and Kubernetes Familiarity with real-time systems, multi-threading, and performance optimization Strong understanding of distributed autonomy, networking, and communication protocols Additional Requirements
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to support critical project milestones and deadlines To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITARhere . Pay Range:
(E1) Junior Software Engineer: $120,000 - $145,000 / year (E2) Software Engineer: $140,000 - $180,000 / year (E3) Senior Software Engineer: Competitive
Meaningful equity incentives as part of our employee option pool Flexible PTO with generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave 401(k) retirement plan with company match LA or San Francisco Additional Information
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options , and access to medical, vision and dental coverage , as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan . Lodestar is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Lodestar is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status. Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Lodestar? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Apply for this job
* indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Email * Phone Resume/CV * Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Education Degree * Select... End date year * LinkedIn Profile Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Website Lodestar Space is required to comply with US export compliance law including the International Traffic In Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). These regulations restrict whom Lodestar Space can share materials with, and whom can receive those materials. This includes hardware and information. Access to these materials is required to undertake roles at Lodestar Space; being unable to meet the export compliance requirements means that you will be ineligible to work for Lodestar Space. Do you consent to Lodestar Space requesting information regarding citizenship, passports and visas in order to proceed with your application? * Select... What citizenship(s) do you hold? Please select all that apply. * Select... What citizenship(s) have you previously held? Please select all that apply. * Select... Are you currently eligible to work in the United States of America? * Select... Do you now or in the future require visa sponsorship to continue working in the United States? * Select... Do any of the following designations apply to you: U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158? * Select... Do you have any previous or pending criminal convictions or charges (including drink or drug-related driving convictions) ? * Select... What is your notice period/ availability? * #J-18808-Ljbffr