Job Details

Software Engineer, Autonomous Space Systems

A defense startup is building autonomous protection systems for spacecraft in orbit. They need a Software Engineer to develop the estimation and prediction algorithms that track threats, forecast trajectories, and enable real‑time autonomous decision‑making in space.

Base pay range: $120,000 – $200,000 per year.

What you'll do:

• Build multi‑target tracking algorithms that fuse sensor data (radar, optical, RF) to maintain situational awareness in contested space environments.
• Design predictive models that forecast threat trajectories under uncertainty, accounting for orbital mechanics and adversarial behavior.
• Develop intent assessment systems that enable spacecraft to distinguish between benign and hostile actions.
• Implement solutions from Kalman filters and particle filters to LSTMs and transformer‑based sequence models.
• Own the pipeline from algorithm design and simulation to deployment in hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments.
• Collaborate with perception and autonomy teams to integrate your work into flight systems.

What you bring:

• Degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
• 2+ years in state estimation, sensor fusion, autonomous systems, or robotics.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python.
• Hands‑on experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Deep understanding of probabilistic methods and sequence modeling.
• Track record of taking algorithms from concept to deployment.

Nice to have:

• Experience with real‑time systems or safety‑critical environments.
• Knowledge of orbital mechanics or space domain awareness.
• Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and MLOps infrastructure.

Why this matters: Your algorithms will operate in one of the most demanding environments: space. You'll work at the intersection of classical estimation theory, modern machine learning, and aerospace engineering. This is full‑stack ownership on mission‑critical systems with a lean team building from the ground up. No bureaucracy, fast iterations, real impact.

Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level

Employment type: Full‑time

Industries: Space Research and Technology; Software Development

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Company: InnoForge