Senior Flight Software Engineer- Lanham MD

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Flight Software Engineer to join a Government Consulting company located in Lanham, MD through a hybrid onsite work environment. The Senior Flight Software Engineer will develop embedded flight software, support FPGA/SoC development, and contribute to satellite control systems within a specialized engineering team.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and test embedded flight software from concept through full spacecraft system integration.
• Maintain and update HDL (VHDL/Verilog) supporting mission and spacecraft functionality.
• Integrate microcontroller‑based applications (including STM32 and FreeRTOS) into spacecraft‑level control systems.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional engineering teams on architecture, payload operations, and phased‑array system enhancements.
• Act as a technical leader, owning schedules, requirements, documentation, and coordination with global teams.

Qualifications:

• 6+ years of experience in embedded software or mission‑critical system development (Master’s degree may offset years).
• Proficiency in C/C++, RTOS (FreeRTOS), FPGA/SoC development, VHDL/Verilog, embedded debugging tools, and lab equipment such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
• Familiarity with STM32, scripting (Python/Ruby/Bash), CMake/Ninja, Linux development, serial communication protocols (SPI, CAN, RS‑232/485), and Git-based workflows.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• Certifications are not required, but relevant embedded systems or aerospace certifications are a plus.

Compensation:

• Salary Range: ~$150,000 – $165,000 depending on experience
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, RSUs, PTO (unlimited), Sick Leave as required by law, and Holidays, Relocation assistance
• Clearance Level: Must be eligible to work in the United States and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance (U.S. Citizenship required)
• Location: Hybrid, primarily onsite in Lanham, MD (future onsite locations may shift toward the DC/Tysons corridor)

Keywords: embedded software, flight software, C++, C, FreeRTOS, RTOS, STM32, microcontrollers, FPGA, SoC, VHDL, Verilog, HDL, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, SWD, satellite control, spacecraft operations, phased array, payload operations, build systems, CMake, Ninja, Linux development, real‑time systems, multithreading, concurrency, serial communications, SPI, CAN, RS‑232, RS‑485, Git, unit testing, CI/CD, scripting languages, Python, Ruby, Bash, aerospace systems, embedded debugging, hardware integration, system integration, mission‑critical systems, satellite engineering