Avionics Software Engineer

About the role

<h3><strong>About Lodestar</strong></h3> <p>Lodestar's mission is to develop the first "Protect and Defend" capability for high-value space assets in orbit. Our flagship product, MITHRIL, is our hardware-agnostic, AI-enabled autonomy software suite that enables us to augment any off-the-shelf spacecraft with the ability to autonomously detect, characterise, and reversibly neutralise orbital threats. By building on the proven space heritage of our best-in-class satellite-bus partners and fully integrating MITHRIL into a single unified platform, we deliver an end-to-end, autonomous in-space bodyguarding service.</p> <hr> <h3><strong>About the Job</strong></h3> <p>We’re hiring <strong>Avionics Software Engineers</strong> across three technical focus areas: <strong>Flight Software, Distributed Middleware &amp; Embedded Linux</strong> Depending on your experience, you’ll take ownership of one of these areas while working closely across avionics, autonomy, AI/ML, and hardware.&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><strong>What You'll Do</strong></h3> <p>Within our Avionics Software team, we're hiring multiple engineers across two core technical specialisms. Please identify which role best matches your skills and experience:&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>1. Distributed Middleware Engineering</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Develop the distributed middleware enabling communication, workload orchestration, and telemetry across heterogeneous onboard compute systems.</li> <li>Build resilient software infrastructure including high-performance IPC, networking, process supervision, and fail-safe Over-The-Air (OTA) update mechanisms.</li> <li>Deliver scalable software platforms that support fault-tolerant autonomous operations.</li> </ul> <h3><strong>2. Embedded Linux Engineering</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Develop and maintain custom embedded Linux platforms for NVIDIA Jetson-based flight computers, from board bring-up through to deployment.</li> <li>Optimise kernel performance through real-time tuning, low-level driver development, system profiling and selective kernel slimming.</li> <li>Architect a hardened, minimal-footprint Linux-based operating system.</li> </ul> <hr> <h3><strong>Qualifications</strong></h3> <p>The following qualifications are desired across all of these roles:</p> <ul> <li>BEng/MEng in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.</li> <li>Strong foundation in C++.</li> <li>Experience developing software for embedded systems using Linux or RTOS (e.g., RTEMS, FreeRTOS).</li> <li>Solid understanding of multi-process architectures and inter-process communication.</li> <li>Strong communicator and self-starter; able to work independently and in a collaborative team.</li> <li>Demonstrated skills in debugging and performance characterisation.</li> </ul> <hr> <h3><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience</strong></h3> <p>Desired skills and experience relevant to all of these roles:</p> <ul> <li>Good understanding of communication protocols.</li> <li>Familiarity with containerisation and deployment tools (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes).</li> <li>Deep understanding of Linux kernel architecture, bootloaders (e.g., U-Boot), and low-level system bring-up.</li> <li>Understanding of fault-tolerant design principles, error handling, or defensive programming in resource-constrained systems.</li> <li>Experience with real-time Linux kernel tuning.</li> <li>Background with the space industry.</li> <li>Experience with publish-subscribe middlewares.</li> <li>Exposure to fail-safe Over-The-Air (OTA) update frameworks.</li> <li>Demonstrated strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.</li> <li>Proven experience in system integration and working with multidisciplinary teams.</li> </ul> <hr> <h3><strong>Compensation &amp; Benefits</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Pay Range: <ul> <li>(E1) Junior Engineer: £30,000 - £55,000 / year</li> <li>(E2) Mid-level Engineer: £55,000 - £75,000 / year</li> </ul> </li> <li>Meaningful equity incentives as part of our empl

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