The Exploration Company
Principal Software System Engineer
The Exploration Company, Houston, Texas, United States, 77246
We are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle intended to support cargo and potentially humans in the longer term. We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced
Principal Software System Engineer (Team Lead)
to lead the certification activities of the flight software for the Nyx program. You will lead a dedicated team focused on verification & validation (V&V), software certification, requirements tracing, and system engineering interfacing. You will combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership to drive certification under tight mission timelines and ensure that software development teams deliver safe, reliable, and compliant products.
This is a high-impact leadership position where your decisions directly influence mission success.
Responsibilities
Lead and mentor the software systems team responsible for:
Managing the certification process in alignment with NASA, ESA, and range safety standards
Internal V&V activities and interfacing with Product Assurance
Managing external IV&V interfaces
Ensuring end-to-end requirements tracing and compliance
Actively partake in NASA Safety Reviews and provide technical input to meet ISS program safety requirements
Serve as a key interface between software engineering, system engineering, and safety & certification authorities
Ensure adherence to and interpretation and tailoring of relevant standards
Coordinate and review technical documentation to support certification and safety assessments
Drive process improvements to increase efficiency, quality, and compliance within the team
Provide hands-on technical oversight and guidance to support adjacent software development teams
What we would love to see from you
Proven experience leading a software team and V&V activities
Deep understanding of software certification, safety, and requirements management processes
Experience with safety-critical software development and certification, ideally in the aerospace domain
Strong technical background in software engineering, with practical experience in flight software frameworks and modern C++
Experience with real-time systems, embedded development, or spacecraft software
Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical problems and drive them to resolution
Familiarity with software testing methodologies and simulation tools
Excellent cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration skills
Focus on detail, quality, and testing
Experience with CI/CD systems and build systems
Experience supporting or presenting in formal safety reviews
Familiarity with agile and modern development practices
Nice to have
Familiarity with standards such as SSP 50808, RCC319, ECSS-Q-ST-80C
Prior work on human-rated spaceflight programs
Why you should join us
We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind
We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them
We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity
We’d love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.
The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.
Location Houston, TX
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Principal Software System Engineer (Team Lead)
to lead the certification activities of the flight software for the Nyx program. You will lead a dedicated team focused on verification & validation (V&V), software certification, requirements tracing, and system engineering interfacing. You will combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership to drive certification under tight mission timelines and ensure that software development teams deliver safe, reliable, and compliant products.
This is a high-impact leadership position where your decisions directly influence mission success.
Responsibilities
Lead and mentor the software systems team responsible for:
Managing the certification process in alignment with NASA, ESA, and range safety standards
Internal V&V activities and interfacing with Product Assurance
Managing external IV&V interfaces
Ensuring end-to-end requirements tracing and compliance
Actively partake in NASA Safety Reviews and provide technical input to meet ISS program safety requirements
Serve as a key interface between software engineering, system engineering, and safety & certification authorities
Ensure adherence to and interpretation and tailoring of relevant standards
Coordinate and review technical documentation to support certification and safety assessments
Drive process improvements to increase efficiency, quality, and compliance within the team
Provide hands-on technical oversight and guidance to support adjacent software development teams
What we would love to see from you
Proven experience leading a software team and V&V activities
Deep understanding of software certification, safety, and requirements management processes
Experience with safety-critical software development and certification, ideally in the aerospace domain
Strong technical background in software engineering, with practical experience in flight software frameworks and modern C++
Experience with real-time systems, embedded development, or spacecraft software
Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical problems and drive them to resolution
Familiarity with software testing methodologies and simulation tools
Excellent cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration skills
Focus on detail, quality, and testing
Experience with CI/CD systems and build systems
Experience supporting or presenting in formal safety reviews
Familiarity with agile and modern development practices
Nice to have
Familiarity with standards such as SSP 50808, RCC319, ECSS-Q-ST-80C
Prior work on human-rated spaceflight programs
Why you should join us
We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind
We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them
We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity
We’d love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.
The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.
Location Houston, TX
#J-18808-Ljbffr