Mission Control Software Engineer

Department: Engineering

Location: Robot Ranch (Austin, TX)

Employment Type: FullTime

At TerraFirma, we’re redefining how the world moves earth for construction. Founded by former SpaceX engineers and backed by Kleiner Perkins and Bain Capital Ventures, TerraFirma is automating construction to make it faster, cheaper, and safer.

Our Story & Mission

At SpaceX, we were part of the teams that built the largest rocket in human history, launched the largest constellation of satellites ever made, and delivered connectivity to millions of people worldwide. What we learned was simple: infrastructure is everything.

At Starbase, the biggest barrier to launching missions to Mars was not building the rocket. It was how slow, expensive, and complex it was to build the infrastructure around it. We lacked buildings, roads, water, power, communications, and waste management, and constructing them took far more time and resources than it should have.

From a first-principles perspective, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be this hard or costly to create the foundations for progress. That’s when we realized something important: the same engineering mindset that enabled us to tackle space exploration and mass manufacturing could be applied to infrastructure. By bringing the principles of simplification, iteration, acceleration, and automation to construction, we can unlock a new era in how the world builds.

Accelerating infrastructure unlocks progress across every domain, creating a self-sustaining engine for tackling humanity’s toughest challenges. The innovations we develop on Earth will lay the groundwork for the technologies that one day make settlement on Mars possible.

Job Overview

In this role, you’ll work across the full stack to build intuitive, high-performance interfaces for real-time remote control of heavy machinery via novel user interfaces. It requires strong frontend skills for seamless user experiences and backend expertise to ensure a secure, scalable architecture. Daily tasks include prototyping data-rich visualizations, building pipelines for complex sensor data (e.g., LiDAR, geospatial, 3D), and optimizing user interactions. Rapid prototyping and iteration with users will be key. You’ll also help manage production environments, deploy applications, and apply best practices in networking, security, and deployment.

Responsibilities

• Design and build intuitive, high-performance user interfaces for tasking, supervising, and remotely controlling autonomous robots and workflows

• Develop real-time visualizations for complex sensor data, including LiDAR, 3D models, and geospatial information, with a focus on rapid prototyping and user feedback

• Apply best practices in networking, authentication, and security to ensure low-latency, reliable communication between systems

• Architect and maintain scalable, secure backend systems, ensuring efficient deployment and operation in production environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)

• Iterate quickly, collaborate cross-functionally, and optimize the full-stack experience to deliver robust and user-friendly solutions

• Lead interdisciplinary teams, mentor new engineers, and help grow the team through hiring

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field

• 2+ years of professional or project experience as a full-stack or application developer, working across frontend, backend, and infrastructure

• Proficiency in building interactive UIs using modern frameworks and platforms (e.g., React, Vue.js, Unity, Unreal, or equivalent)

• A strong understanding of computer networking principles, including routing and protocols across the OSI model

• Proficiency in developing software to run on Linux-based systems

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience working with real-time data systems or low-latency communication protocols (e.g., WebRTC, gRPC)

• Experience with data visualization, transformations, and working with 3D, geospatial, or LiDAR data

• Experience developing for game engines (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine) and using them for data visualization or UI prototyping

• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and edge computing strategies.

• Understanding of cybersecurity best practices for application development, networking, and data handling.

• Demonstrated ability to prototype and test multiple solutions to determine optimal approaches

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to work extended hours or weekends when needed to support critical deadlines or triage urgent deployment issues

• Comfortable with working in a fast-paced startup environment

• Must be willing to relocate to Austin, TX if not within commuting distance

Compensation & Benefits

Base compensation will vary based on factors such as relevant experience and education. Salaries and leveling will be determined on a case-by-case basis if an offer is extended. Our total compensation package also includes equity in TerraFirma. Relocation packages are available to help cover moving costs, if applicable.