Senior Software System Engineer

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building spacecrafts for humanity.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Software System Engineer to support the certification activities of the flight software for the Nyx program.

You will work in a dedicated team focused on verification & validation (V&V), software certification, requirements tracing, test planning and system engineering interfacing.

In this role, you will collaborate closely with software development teams, systems engineering, subsystem owners, certification bodies, and safety authorities. You will work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment where cross-functional integration is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Own V&V and IV&V activities to ensure that flight software meets functional, performance, and safety requirements

• Manage SW requirement definition and traceability, ensuring full traceability from system-level requirements to software implementation, test and verification artifacts

• Prepare and review documentation required for software certification and NASA Safety Reviews

• Interpret, tailor, and apply formal standards

• Interface with internal Product Assurance

• Collaborate daily with system engineers and software development teams to resolve technical issues and clarify requirements

• Develop and maintain software functional design baseline

• Plan software testing of the integrated mission

• Use your understanding of C/C++ and Python to meaningfully engage in software design and test discussions

What we would love to see from you

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, or another related field.

• 7 to 10+ years of experience in systems design, analysis, and testing of aerospace or space-related systems, with a focus on integration of complex spacecraft and/or testing activities.

• Experience working on safety-critical or highly regulated software systems (preferably in aerospace)

• Deep understanding of requirements management, V&V, test and certification processes

• Strong technical background in software engineering, with practical experience in flight software frameworks and modern C++

• Experience with real-time systems, embedded development, or spacecraft software

• Familiarity with software testing methodologies and simulation tools

• Excellent cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration skills

• Focus on detail, quality, and testing

• Familiarity with agile and modern development practices

Nice to have

• Familiarity with software certification standards such as NASA-NPR-7150.2, NASA-STD-8739.8B, RCC319, ECSS-Q-ST-80C

• Familiarity with International Space Station functionality and requirements (SSP 50808)

• Prior work on human-rated spaceflight programs

Location: Munich, Germany (onsite)

Travel: Some domestic and international travel within the EU and to the U.S. may be required for this role.

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.