About the role
Posted
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Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure.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. Learn more about ITAR here.
Disclaimer
This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.
Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.