Embedded Software Engineer

Mission

Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Background

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.

Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.

Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.

This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation ’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

The Role

We're looking for an Embedded Software Engineer to take ownership of real-time software for spacecraft subsystems, including power distribution, thermal control, and related avionics boards. You'll join a small embedded team where your work spans the full lifecycle: board bring-up, driver and application development, hardware/software debugging, and supporting reliable firmware updates for hardware in the field and on orbit. This is a high-ownership role: after ramp-up, you'll be the standing owner of a meaningful piece of our embedded software stack.

Responsibilities

• Own embedded software for spacecraft subsystems from concept through on-orbit operations
• Design, develop, and debug real-time embedded software for microcontroller-based avionics boards in both FreeRTOS and bare-metal environments
• Implement low-level drivers, peripheral interfaces, and real-time control loops for power distribution, thermal control, sensors, and actuators
• Build and maintain software supporting board bring-up as well as safe, robust in-field and in-flight firmware update mechanisms
• Integrate with and develop robust command and telemetry infrastructure
• Work deeply at the software-to-hardware boundary: read schematics, understand pinouts, drive physical hardware, and diagnose issues that could originate in firmware or hardware
• Build robust, fault-tolerant systems with attention to reliability, determinism, and performance in constrained environments
• Support board bring-up, hardware integration, and hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing
• Develop automated test frameworks and validation tooling for embedded systems
• Collaborate closely with electrical, avionics, and software teams to define system architecture and interfaces
• Investigate anomalies, perform root cause analysis, and implement fixes across hardware/software boundaries
• Contribute to system-level design, including fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) strategies

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience (or equivalent practical experience) in embedded software or firmware development
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ for embedded systems
• Experience developing for embedded microcontrollers, including work with RTOS-based (e.g., FreeRTOS) and/or bare-metal environments
• Comfort working at the hardware boundary: reading schematics, using debugging tools (JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers), and reasoning about electrical behavior
• Experience with hardware/software integration and board bring-up
• Ability to own a subsystem largely independently after ramp-up

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• Experience developing embedded software for aerospace, automotive, robotics, or other high-reliability systems
• Experience with common embedded communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN) and embedded networking stacks
• Experience building or working with firmware update and bootloader systems for deployed or remote hardware
• Understanding of fault-tolerant design, redundancy, and high-reliability system architecture
• Experience with HITL testing and system validation
• Familiarity with Python or scripting for test automation and tooling; interest or experience in Rust for embedded development is a plus
• Experience working in fast-paced, high-ownership environments with rapid iteration cycles
• Exposure to radiation-tolerant design considerations for space systems

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $130,000 - $185,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.