Firmware/Electrical Engineer

We’re Hiring: Firmware & Electrical Engineer Location: On-site in Los Angeles area (near Sylmar, CA)TransAstra is looking for a skilled Firmware & Electrical Engineer to help develop the electronics and flight software powering our next-generation space systems. This is a hands-on technical role for someone who is equally comfortable designing circuit boards and writing embedded code—and who wants to see their work fly in orbit.You’ll develop space-grade firmware for our orbital debris and asteroid capture system, design and bring up custom PCBs, maintain and extend the data acquisition and monitoring software for our ground-based observatory network, and contribute to the networking architecture supporting observatory operations. If you want to work across the full stack of space electronics—from schematic capture to on-orbit software—this is the role for you.Key Responsibilities:Develop and validate flight firmware for TransAstra’s orbital debris and asteroid capture system, including command handling, sensor interfaces, and autonomous sequencingDesign, lay out, and test custom electronic boards for the capture system’s subsystems, from schematic through integration and environmental testingMaintain and improve the data acquisition and ground support software used to operate and monitor TransAstra’s ground-based observatory networkArchitect and implement networking infrastructure for TransAstra’s ground observatory sites, including data routing, connectivity, and remote communication systemsCollaborate with mechanical, systems, and software engineers to ensure tight integration between electronics, firmware, and flight structuresSupport hardware and firmware design reviews, documentation, and test planningRequired Qualifications:3+ years of experience in embedded firmware development and/or electrical hardware designProficiency in Rust for embedded or systems-level developmentExperience with PCB schematic capture and layout tools (e.g., Altium, KiCad, or Eagle)Working knowledge of common embedded communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet)Familiarity with board bring-up, debugging, and bench testing using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and similar lab equipmentU.S. Citizen or Green Card holder (due to export control requirements)Able to work full-time on-site at our facility near Sylmar, CAPreferred Experience:Prior work on flight hardware or firmware for space or aerospace applicationsExperience with radiation-tolerant or space-qualified components and design practicesFamiliarity with embedded Rust ecosystems (e.g., embedded-hal, RTIC, Embassy, or no_std development)Experience with data acquisition systems, LabVIEW, or custom test automation platformsExperience with networking for distributed ground-based systems, including TCP/IP, remote monitoring, and site connectivityKnowledge of FPGA development (VHDL/Verilog) is a plusAdvanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field