Senior Flight Software Engineer - Space Systems

At Axient Systems we are building sovereign Dutch space capability. From Delft, at the heart of the Dutch aerospace ecosystem, we develop advanced satellite systems for the Netherlands Ministry of Defence and other government and commercial customers. Our work spans mission integration, earth observation, secure communications, and space systems engineering. We are responsible for mission integration on PAMI-1, the satellite that will give the Netherlands its own optical space capability.

We are looking for a Senior Flight Software Engineer to design, develop, and verify the on-board software that routes and processes data on PAMI-1.

The Role

You contribute to the design, development, and verification of satellite on-board software for data routing and processing. This is flight software: it has to be right, it has to run within tight hardware constraints, and it has to survive an environment where you cannot simply patch it once it is in orbit.

You work at the interface between software, systems, and hardware, and you own the code from architecture through integration and test. You will not be one of many hands on a mature codebase; on a programme of this size your design decisions and your standards carry real weight.

You will report to the Lead Software Engineer.

Key Responsibilities

• Code. Develop code that integrates several complex interfaces and routes data between them.
• Software architecture. Design software architecture that optimises performance within the hardware constraints.
• Systems engineering. Support the systems engineering process of requirements generation and functional flow-down.
• Testing and validation. Create unit tests, perform system-level testing, and support hardware-in-the-loop setups to verify software functionality.
• Maintain and document. Write clean, maintainable code and produce clear technical documentation to support design reviews and system audits.
• Collaborate. Work closely with the electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering teams to deliver integrated solutions.

Your Profile

Essential

• At least 10 years of experience in embedded / low-level software development
• Experience with real-time, or near-real-time, applications: real-time Linux and RTOS
• Experience with spacecraft flight software, or comparable vehicle software requiring a high level of reliability
• Experience with CCSDS and ECSS space protocols such as CFDP and PUS
• A working understanding of UART and Ethernet
• A background in electrical engineering, computer science, embedded systems, or a comparable field
• Proficiency in C, C++, and Python; experience with Rust
• Familiarity with spacecraft systems engineering methodology such as MBSE
• Experience with test-driven development, CI/CD workflows, and Git
• Fluent English
• On-site work in Delft, limited hybrid working possible

Desirable

• Familiarity with networking technologies such as TCP/IP, UDP/IP, and FTP
• CAN-bus, I2C, SPI, SpaceWire
• Familiarity with MISRA / AUTOSAR guidelines and/or ECSS coding standards
• Experience with encryption and security
• Working proficiency in Dutch

What We Offer

A role at the heart of a national space programme, working on flight‑critical software that must perform flawlessly when it matters most. In an organisation small enough that your standards shape the organisation itself, you’ll have direct influence on how our flight software is conceived, built, and assured.

We offer a market‑aligned salary and benefits that reflect the significance of the role, along with clear opportunities for growth as our Dutch organisation continues to scale.

Particularities

A Certificate of Conduct (VOG) is required upon commencement of employment.

Interested?

Apply via the vacancy on LinkedIn or through the registration form on our website. In your application, please include a brief description of one piece of flight‑ or safety‑critical software you personally developed: the reliability constraint that shaped its design, and one defect that reached integration or test, how you identified it, and what you changed as a result.

Applications without this description will not be reviewed.