Head of Software Engineering

Job description

### Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure, and actionable? Then you’ve come to the right place! At E-Space, we’re focused on bridging Earth and space with the world’s most sustainable low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. We’re a team of bold thinkers, ambitious leaders and dynamic doers—and we’re disrupting NewSpace by fundamentally changing the design of legacy LEO space systems to deliver entirely new satellite capabilities at a fraction of the cost. We’re intentional, we’re unapologetically curious and we’re 100% committed—to saving space, to protecting our planet and to turning connectivity into actionable intelligence. ### As Director or VP of Software Engineering, you will own the full software engineering organization for our space vehicle programs — from architecture and embedded systems to communications software and mission-critical delivery. This is a rare opportunity to build and lead a world-class engineering team at the forefront of commercial and government space. You will set technical vision, drive execution, and be a key voice in company strategy — partnering directly with the CEO, CTO, and program leadership to shape the next generation of space vehicles. The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on roots in embedded systems, Board Support Package (BSP) development, and communications software — combined with the leadership presence and organizational maturity to scale a high-performing engineering team. ### What you will be doing: **Technical Leadership** - Define and drive the software engineering vision, architecture, and roadmap across all space vehicle programs - Provide hands-on technical leadership in embedded systems, BSP development (bootloaders, device drivers, RTOS bring-up), and communications software - Oversee software design and implementation for spacecraft comms subsystems including SpaceWire, MIL-STD-1553, CCSDS, and RF data link protocols - Own the software architecture for Command & Data Handling (C&DH) systems and mission-critical flight software - Champion software quality, reliability, and compliance with applicable standards (DO-178B/C, NASA-STD-8739.8, or equivalent) - Drive hardware/software co-design and integration with electrical, systems, and mechanical engineering teams **People & Organizational Leadership** - Build, grow, and retain a high-performing software engineering organization across multiple disciplines and experience levels - Hire, mentor, and develop engineering managers and senior/staff engineers into future technical leaders - Foster a culture of engineering excellence, psychological safety, and continuous improvement - Define career development frameworks, leveling guidelines, and performance standards for the software engineering team - Partner cross-functionally with Program Management, Systems Engineering, and Operations to deliver on commitments **Strategy & Execution** - Own software program execution — schedules, milestones, risk identification, and mitigation across all active programs - Represent software engineering in customer briefings, program reviews, and executive leadership meetings - Contribute to business development and proposal efforts — defining software technical approaches and resource estimates for new pursuits - Drive make/buy decisions, toolchain investments, and software development process improvements at scale - Build and maintain technology partnerships with key vendors, tool suppliers, and industry partners ### What you bring to this role: - 12+ years of software engineering experience, with 5+ years in engineering leadership (managing managers or leading organizations of 15+ engineers) - Deep technical foundation in embedded systems and BSP development — bootloaders, device drivers, kernel bring-up, embedded Linux and/or RTOS (VxWorks, RTEMS, FreeRTOS) - Proven experience leading software development for space, defense, or other safety-critical platforms - Strong background in communications software — protocol stacks, data link layers, or spacecraft comms subsystems - Demonstrated ability to build and scale engineering teams in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment - Track record of delivering complex, multi-million-dollar software programs on time and on budget - Excellent executive communication skills — able to present to customers, boards, and government stakeholders - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related fiel ### Extra bonus points for the following: - Active U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or above) - Experience with spacecraft C&DH (Command & Data Handling) and flight software development - Knowledge of CCSDS protocols and space data system standards - Familiarity with DO-178B/C software certification and safety-critical verification frameworks - Experience supporting DoD, NASA, or other U.S. Government space programs - Exposure to radiation-tolerant or radiation-hardened computing environments - Experience leading software capture strategy for large government proposals ($50M+) - Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant engineering or computer science discipline ### Additional Requirements This is a fast-paced, high-impact environment - flexibility to occasionally work extended hours or weekends during critical periods is expected.