Lead Flight Software in Oberpfaffenhofen

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run.

The Lead Flight Software owns the end-to-end delivery of all flight software, simulation environments, and supporting tools and software test setups required to fly, verify, and certify the vehicle.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will manage four teams (~20 engineers total) while staying technically sharp and deeply involved in architecture, trade-offs, and critical design decisions. You are accountable for delivering reliable, certifiable software in a fast-moving, resource-constrained startup environment.

What You Will Do

You will define and evolve the overall flight software architecture, ensuring that it is robust, scalable, and aligned with mission and safety requirements. You will personally drive key architectural and system-level decisions, review critical designs and code, and ensure that technical trade-offs are made deliberately and transparently.

You will establish a strong interface between flight software, avionics, GNC, systems engineering, and safety teams, making sure that integration risks are identified early and resolved systematically. You will shape the verification and validation ecosystem, including SIL, HIL, and Monte Carlo campaigns, and automated test pipelines. It will be your responsibility to ensure that simulation and testing are not afterthoughts but central pillars of the program.

You will align software development plans with overall program milestones and vehicle integration timelines. You will represent flight software in major program reviews and external technical exchanges, including certification discussions with NASA and other stakeholders, and you will ensure a professional and well-prepared interface with IV&V organizations.

At the same time, you will build and lead a high-performing organization. You will coach team leads, grow senior engineers, establish engineering standards, and create a culture of ownership and accountability. You will set expectations clearly, make hard calls when needed, and ensure that the team delivers, all while prioritizing working software over paperwork without losing track of certification goals.

Key Responsibilities

In your capacity as a Lead Flight Software, your role will be continuously evolving, but day to day your duties will include:

• Lead the design, development, and testing of the flight software for the spacecraft and all related elements
• Manage and oversee the software development team to ensure timely delivery of high-quality software
• Collaborate with other teams and departments, such as avionics, GNC, and systems, to ensure seamless integration of the software with other systems
• Develop and implement software development processes and best practices to ensure efficient and effective development
• Ensure the software meets all safety, performance, and reliability requirements
• Continuously evaluate and improve the software to meet changing mission needs and incorporate new technologies
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in software development for spacecraft and related systems.
• Get your hands-dirty by contributing to the flight software code and tests
• Promote and develop the skills and capabilities of your team members and support their development

What we would love to see from you

In the role of Lead Flight Software ideally, you will have the following:

• Extensive experience in designing, developing, and testing flight software for spacecrafts or related systems
• Strong leadership and management skills to lead a software development team and ensure timely delivery of high-quality software
• Excellent collaboration skills to work effectively with other teams and departments, such as avionics and systems, to ensure seamless integration of the software with other systems
• Knowledge and experience in implementing software development processes and best practices to ensure efficient and effective development
• Ability to ensure the software meets all safety, performance, and reliability requirements and continuously evaluate and improve the software to meet changing mission needs and incorporate new technologies
• Up-to-date knowledge of the latest advancements in software development for spacecraft and related systems
• Hands-on coding and testing skills to contribute to the flight software code and tests with C/C++
• Ability to promote and develop the skills and capabilities of team members and support their development.

Why you should join us!

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.

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.

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