Contact UsContact UsContact UsContact UsContact UsSoftware EngineerPalo Alto, CA | Hybrid or OnsiteApplyApplyEraDrive’s goal is to revolutionize how spaceflight is done and managed through autonomy. EraDrive builds autonomy software and hardware that let spacecraft see, decide, and act with minimal human control. Our software is already flying in space, and we are growing it into a product family that covers rendezvous, in orbit inspection, and space based sensing. You will be one of EraDrive’s first engineering hires and a founding member of the team.You will own core pieces of the autonomy codebase in C++, build the simulation and testing infrastructure, and integrate classical algorithms with AI/ML-based components into a single deterministic system. Unlike typical infrastructure roles, your work directly enables new autonomy behaviors and mission capabilities. Your work will make it possible to ship new autonomy features quickly and at scale without losing reliability. As one of the first software engineers, your system design decisions will shape the codebase for years.What you will doOwn core parts of EraDrive’s autonomy codebase in modern C++, transforming research-oriented modules into production quality componentsDesign and maintain software in the loop frameworks used to test guidance, navigation, perception, and control across full mission timelinesImplement and maintain clear interfaces and data models so classical algorithms, learned perception modules, simulators, and hardware testbeds work together without surprisesBuild and extend automated tests, regression suites, and CI pipelines to keep the system reliable as it evolvesSupport integration with external flight software environments and onboard computing platforms, including packaging and documentationWork closely with autonomy and hardware teams to ensure the software reflects real world constraints such as timing, resource usage, and numerical limitsHelp shape coding standards, review practices, and internal tooling as one of the early engineersWhat you bringStrong modern C++ skills and a track record of building and maintaining complex codebasesExperience with simulation-driven development in robotics, aerospace, or similar domainsFamiliarity with unit testing, integration testing, and CI for C++ systemsAbility to design clear interfaces and abstractions that make it easier for others to build on your workComfort reading algorithmic or research code, including AI-related components, and turning it into something robust and understandableWillingness to collaborate tightly with researchers and hardware engineers and to take responsibility for software qualityBonusExperience with flight software environments or other real time, resource constrained systemsExposure to orbital mechanics, navigation, or control, enough to reason about what the code is doingExperience with computer graphics and the implementation of efficient, high-fidelity rendering pipelinesExperience with computer vision pipelines and their implementationExperience with distributed networking protocols and their implementationExperience integrating C++ with Python or ML tooling, for example for training, inference, or data pipelines
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