Embedded Engineer
Senior Software Engineer *
In-Flight Connectivity Platform - LEO Satellite Broadband Program
Redmond, WA (preferred) or San Diego, CA
The Role
This is a hands-on senior engineering role at the platform/middleware layer. The high-level architecture is in place - your job is to build, integrate, and ship against it. You will work in a team that blends avionics, enterprise networking, cloud, and embedded backgrounds, with a dedicated security engineering team supporting the platform. Modern AI-assisted development tooling is used extensively.
What you'll do:
- Design and implement core platform modules - cabin network management (VLAN-based traffic segmentation and prioritization across passenger, crew, and airline operational services), connectivity monitoring, and observability.
- Build and maintain the over-the-air (OTA) software lifecycle pipeline: cryptographically validated updates, staged activation, automatic rollback, and version reporting to ground-side fleet systems.
- Develop telemetry and health-monitoring infrastructure, including the device-to-cloud data pipeline for fleet monitoring.
- Integrate software across multiple cabin hardware platforms, maintaining hardware abstraction layers for portability.
- Build and execute unit, integration, requirements-based, and hardware-in-the-loop tests.
- Contribute to interface definitions and architecture decision records, and raise the bar through code reviews and design feedback.
What We're Looking For
Required:
- 6+ years of professional software development experience, with several years leading design or architecture of production systems.
- Strong Linux-based software development on real devices - C/C++ and/or Python.
- Solid networking fundamentals: VLANs, routing, QoS / traffic prioritization, and network troubleshooting.
- Experience with device-to-cloud systems: telemetry, health monitoring, or fleet/device management.
- Experience building or operating software update pipelines (OTA/firmware: signing, staged rollout, rollback).
- Containers (Docker; Kubernetes a plus) and modern CI/testing practices.
- Comfort with ambiguity and autonomy - an early-stage program where strong engineering judgment and clear documentation matter as much as implementation skill.
Nice to have:
- Background in in-flight connectivity, satellite communications, avionics, or other safety-adjacent embedded domains.
- Familiarity with DO-178C software lifecycle (certification itself not required) or avionics interfaces such as ARINC 429.
- Security engineering exposure: cryptography, secure boot, threat modeling, identity and access controls.
- Experience with carrier-grade CPE/gateway software (e.g., RDK, OpenWrt, prpl) - this maps directly to the work.
Eligibility & Location
- Work authorization: due to applicable U.S. export control regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or lawfully admitted refugee or granted asylum.
- Location: on-site - Redmond, WA preferred, or San Diego, CA. Relocation candidates welcome.
- Education: BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Why This Role
- Ground-floor engineering on a high-visibility program most engineers never get near - software that will fly on commercial aircraft worldwide.
- Your decisions on architecture, interfaces, and implementation shape the platform for years of production operation.
A well-resourced, fast-moving team with extensive knowledge-sharing across avionics, networking, and cloud disciplines.
GCS is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.