Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building innovative aerospace technologies that advance the future of space transportation.

We are looking for a Senior Embedded Software Engineer with deep expertise in low-level platform bring-up and RT-OS tailoring for embedded real-time applications. You will own the full software stack from bootloader, BSP, OS, and application. You will establish and maintain the toolchain and CI infrastructure that underpins our embedded platforms development.

You are comfortable owning the entire platform software stack independently. You have brought up a (safety critical) MCU from scratch, debugged obscure failures with a debug probe (e.g. JTAG), serial console, logic analyser, or oscilloscope. You instinctively collaborate closely with the hardware team on the platform design and with the application stakeholders on requirements.

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Embedded Software Engineer, your role and responsibilities will continuously evolve. Your initial duties include to:

1. Bring-up the RTOS and develop the BSP for ARM Cortex-M cores, including MPU configuration and inter-core communication

2. Develop, test and maintain an extensive set of MCU drivers to fulfill application's needs (ADC, SPI, Clock and more)

3. Develop complete communication stack, validate its integration in host system

4. Develop drivers for complex ICs

5. Integration test MCU and FPGA interfaces

6. Set-up toolchain and CI for the MCU and wider embedded platform (HiL, automated test equipment control...)

7. Own design documentation and validate requirements

8. Coordinate with all disciplines working on a unit (electronics design engineers, system engineers, test team, EGSE team)

9. Continuous learning: stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and advancements in avionics design

What we would love to see from you

In the role of Senior Embedded Software Developer ideally, you will have the following:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Embedded Systems, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field

• Strong background in embedded C / C++ coding

• RTOS bring-up experience on Cortex-M cores (ThreadX / Azure RTOS, FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or equivalent)

• Hands-on experience in firmware development and platform bring-up

• Hands-on experience in various communication protocols/stacks (SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet IP/TCP).

• Knowledge of safety-critical design principles

• Familiarity with Reliability, Availability, Maintainability & Safety (RAMS) aspects

• Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams (hardware engineers, test engineers, EGSE engineers, etc.)

• Meticulous attention to detail in design, analysis, and documentation

• Hands on mentality at testing and problem debugging in laboratory

• Experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines for embedded hardware targets is a plus

• Experience with TSN is a plus

• Experience with FPGA and VHDL language is a plus

• Experience with python and bash is a plus

• Understanding of space relevant standards (like ECSS, MIL-STD, NASA-HBK) and regulations is a plus

• Awareness of functional safety standards (ISO 26262, DO-178C, or similar) and their implications for the software stack is a plus

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

• We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind

• We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them

• We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.


All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.