We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.
As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.
When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.
As Principal Software Engineer (Contract) - Flight SW & SW I&T you will be responsible for;
The Principal Software Engineer's primary responsibility will be contributing to the development and testing of customer's U.S. satellite flight software. This engineer will be involved in the full lifecycle of flight software development, from requirements definition through operations. However, because we are a small team where each person takes on many roles, this engineer will also contribute to mission concept development, in-house modeling and simulation capabilities, and proposal writing. Being at the cutting edge of space technology, we need someone who is eager to learn, grow, and take on new and potentially unfamiliar challenges. There is no shortage of fascinating problems to solve.
The Principal Software Engineer will provide autonomous support of complex assignments, under the leadership of the Software Team Lead and Software Engineering Manager. The Principal Software Engineer will have project and subject matter responsibility and authority.
Flight Software - 60%
- Contribute to the development of new satellite flight software for U.S. satellite platforms
- Support development and integration of GNC algorithms
- Support development and modification of flight software hosted on new flight computer designs
- Develop in-house tools to analyze flight software performance and assess its compatibility with new mission and conops
- Develop and execute flight software verification and validation tests at the unit, module, subsystem, and platform level
Software Integration and Test - 30%
- Develop and execute FSW verifications tests using both proprietary satellite digital twin software and a Hardware in the Loop (HIL) FlatSat.
- Establish and document test methodologies and descriptions to test compliance with customer-based requirements.
- Develop and implement software and tools for ground support equipment to test and validate flight software.
- Contribute to document management, including versioning, bug reporting, and test plan documentation.
- Oversee and conduct official validation tests.
Additional Responsibilities - 10%
- Support working groups, both internal and with customers and/or vendors
- Support proposal writing, new business
- Assess the software impacts of new hardware, conops, and missions
Qualifications;
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas.
- Preferred: Master's in STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Math) or related scientific areas.
Experience:
- A minimum of 15 years with a Bachelor's degree, or 12 years with a Master's degree
- Proven track-record of working with space hardware and/or flight software systems, starting from conceptual designs and tradeoffs through detailed design, development, manufacture, integration, test, deployment, and operations.
Knowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities:
- Insatiable curiosity and a demonstrated ability to learn and work independently
- Proficiency in C/C++
- Expertise in one or more of the following:
- GNC algorithms design, analysis, testing, and implementation
- New device bring-up
- BSP implementation
- Embedded software development and testing
- Cybersecurity
- Device driver development and testing of software/hardware interfaces
- Real-time operating systems programming, debugging, and testing
- Functional validation of embedded software on hardware
- Software safety assurance
- Network topology and configuration
- Simulators: numerical, emulator, and hardware in the loop
- Software requirements and configuration management
Travel Required:
- Periodic travel (less than 20%) to U.S. facilities or partner companies.
- Occasional International travel to collaborate with European counterparts
Eligibility:
- US Citizenship is required
Clearance:
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Government security clearance.
- Active DoD security clearance at Secret or above highly desirable
Physical Requirements:
- Vision: able to see and read computer screen and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents.
- Hearing: able to hear to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear sounds including safety warnings or alarms.
- Equipment Operation (personal computer, telephone, copies, fax machine, and related office equipment and using electronic identification card to enter building floors and internal doors): able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment.
- Carrying: able to carry documents, electronic equipment and/or supplies up to 40lbs/9kg.
- Lifting: able to lift documents, electronic equipment and/or supplies up to 40lbs/9kg.
- Sitting: able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on computer.
- Squatting / Kneeling: able to occasionally squat or kneel to retrieve or replace items shelved on bottom shelves.
- Standing: able to stand for long periods of time.
- Walking: able to walk through office and outside areas including uneven surfaces.
Salary Range: $150K-$220K
The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience
Note: Due to the nature of the work, only US citizens need apply for this position.
Location: Can be fully remote. Preferred locations are Denver, CO, Arlington, VA, Merritt Island, FL, and Houston, TX
ALTEN Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our Policy is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual’s age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or veteran status.
Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.
Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.
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