Spacecraft Ground Software Engineer II

Who We’re Looking ForQuantum Space is developing high-performance spacecraft designed for agility, autonomy, and mission longevity in cislunar space. We are seeking a highly skilled Spacecraft Ground Software Engineer II to lead the development, integration, and operational support of software systems that enable spacecraft testing, mission operations, and real-time ground communications.This role is ideal for an experienced software engineer who thrives at the intersection of distributed systems, mission operations, infrastructure, and real-time data processing. You will play a key role in building the software platforms and operational tooling that support spacecraft integration, command and telemetry workflows, and mission readiness throughout the vehicle lifecycle.You will work closely with flight software, AI&T, mission operations, avionics, and systems engineering teams to develop scalable and reliable ground software solutions that support both integration and on-orbit operations.Where You’ll Make an Impact You get to build the architecture upon which the ground software will be runYour work directly impacts safety, reliability, and the mission's successGround software touches each part of the mission from testing to on-orbit operationsYou will own major pieces of the architecture end-to-endYou have the opportunity to influence coding standards, architecture, and how we operate as a teamYou get mission-critical responsibility that will support mission operations long after the first launchWhat It Takes Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical field5+ years of professional experience in full-stack software development, including deployment to production or operational environmentsStrong understanding of networking, data routing, and communication protocolsExperience working with message buses, APIs, and real-time data pipelinesFamiliarity with cloud infrastructure and/or equivalent on-premises environmentsHands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines and modern DevOps practicesProficiency with relational and/or non-relational databasesUnderstanding of ground system architectures, interfaces, and distributed systemsStrong version-control practices using modern source-control workflowsExperience contributing to requirements development, verification, and traceabilityExperience developing and executing software and system-level testsProficiency with Linux environments, command-line workflows, and Bash scriptingStrong technical communication skills, including the ability to communicate operational impacts of technical decisionsStrong documentation practices across operational procedures, interfaces, and system architectureAbility and willingness to support on-call rotations or real-time operational events during critical mission activitiesExperience leading end-to-end system development efforts from design through deployment and operational supportPreferred QualificationsExperience developing ground segment, mission-control, or spacecraft operations softwareUnderstanding of spacecraft command and telemetry systemsFamiliarity with spacecraft operations tools such as Grafana or other monitoring and data-visualization platformsExperience with Atlassian tools such as Jira and ConfluenceOptional Improvement SuggestionsYou could make the posting even stronger by adding one or two of these if applicable:If applicable:Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)Familiarity with distributed systems and high-availability architecturesExperience supporting operational or mission-critical environmentsExposure to aerospace, defense, robotics, or autonomous systems domainsExperience with Python, Go, Java, C++, or similar backend technologiesLocation: Hawthorne, CACompensation: $120,000 to $150,000 Annual Salary Depending on ExperienceAdditional Requirements To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual per 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.Apply now. Join us in building the systems that enable Quantum’s spacecraft to launch, integrate, and operate with confidence.