Principal Engineer - Mission Control Software

The Exploration Company

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.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the architecture of our Mission Control Software
• Actively contribute production-grade backend and frontend code
• Own technical roadmaps and drive major architectural decisions
• Turn user needs into feature specifications for the development team
• Ensure safe commanding workflows and reliable telemetry reception
• Design for scalability, observability, and operational robustness
• Collaborate closely with Mission Operations, AIT, and Flight Software teams
• Guide engineering standards and mentor developers within your team
• Balance development speed with long-term maintainability and code quality

What we would love to see from you

• 5+ years of professional experience with demonstrated architectural ownership and technical leadership
• Strong backend expertise (e.g., Python, Ruby, or similar)
• Experience with modern web technologies (TypeScript, Vue/React, REST/WebSockets)
• Profound understanding of distributed systems and API design
• Experience with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes)
• Deep understanding of ground segment concepts (telemetry, telecommanding, mission operations)
• Ability to operate at both architectural and hands-on implementation level
• Product ownership or technical product management experience
• Strong analytical thinking and technical judgment with high attention to detail
• Experience with agile software development methodologies
• Motivation to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment

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?