Principal Software Engineer

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.

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Principal Software Engineer - Mission Tooling (Team Lead) to lead the development of the mission tooling software stack for Nyx. In this critical role, you will guide a team of talented engineers in building and validating products used daily by software and engineering departments across the Nyx project. The tools your team owns are directly related to flight software and its simulation environment, and provide critical functionality such as configuration data management, flight code autocoding, flight software test orchestration on HIL and SIL, and flight impage deployment management.

You will combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership to deliver high-reliability tools under tight mission timelines. You will drive architectural decisions, enforce rigorous testing standards, and foster a culture of ownership, user-driven development, and cross-functional collaboration with other subsystems such as GNC, avionics, system engineering, and mission operations.

This is a high-impact leadership position where your decisions directly influence mission success.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a high-performing team of software engineers in the design, implementation, testing, and integration of mission tooling software.

• Own the technical roadmap and execution for the tools, including architecture, modularity, and interfaces across flight software and system engineering tools.

• Set high standards for code quality, test coverage, and product robustness.

• Drive development in Python 3.x, creating reliable tools matching user expectations in terms of functionality and efficiency.

• Collaborate closely with teams across flight software, systems engineering, GNC, Digital / IT, and mission operations to define requirements, resolve interface challenges, and validate end-to-end behavior.

• Participate in and lead code reviews and software audits.

What we would love to see from you

• Strong proficiency in Python 3.x and at least one system programming language.

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical problems and drive them to resolution.

• Familiarity with software testing methodologies and simulation tools.

• Excellent cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration skills.

• Focus on detail, quality, and testing.

• Experience with CI/CD systems and build systems.

Nice to have

• Experience with Bazel.

• Good understanding of math & physics.

• Experience with asynchronous programming.

• Familiarity with infrastructure as code.

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. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly. 
 
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.