Firmware Engineer

Department: Software Engineering

Location: San Carlos, California

Employment Type: FullTime

Firmware Engineer

About Cowboy Space Corp.

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

Responsibilities:

• Own firmware development for spacecraft subsystems from concept through on-orbit operations

• Design, develop, and debug embedded firmware for microcontrollers, FPGAs, and custom hardware platforms

• Implement low-level drivers, communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN), and real-time control systems

• Develop firmware for power management, avionics interfaces, sensors, and actuator control

• Build robust, fault-tolerant systems with attention to reliability, determinism, and performance under constrained environments

• Support board bring-up, hardware integration, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing

• Develop automated test frameworks and validation tools 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:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field

• 3+ years of experience in firmware or embedded software development

• Strong programming skills in C/C++ for embedded systems

• Experience working with microcontrollers and/or FPGAs

• Familiarity with real-time systems and embedded debugging tools (JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers)

• Experience with hardware/software integration and board bring-up

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing firmware for aerospace, automotive, robotics, or other high-reliability systems

• Familiarity with RTOS (e.g., FreeRTOS, VxWorks) and real-time scheduling concepts

• Experience with communication stacks and networking protocols in embedded systems

• Understanding of fault-tolerant design, redundancy, and high-reliability system architecture

• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and system validation

• Familiarity with Python or scripting for test automation and tooling

• Familiarity with Rust, RTL, and knowledge of various database types

• 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.