Experienced Software Engineer
This posting asks for U.S. citizenship.
About the role
About Starfish Space
Starfish Space provides satellite servicing missions with its Otter servicing vehicle, including life extension missions for geostationary satellites and disposal missions for low Earth orbit satellites. Founded in 2019, Starfish has raised over $150M in venture capital funding and built a team of engineers with experience spanning satellite guidance, navigation, control, and autonomous robotics. Starfish has launched several missions to-date, and is focused on delivering Otter satellite servicing missions for SES, the U.S. Space Force, the Space Development Agency, NASA, and others.
Position Description
Satellite servicing missions require spacecraft capable of autonomous, robotic operations in orbit. To fulfill our mission, Starfish has developed the Otter satellite servicing vehicle, which relies on autonomous software technologies to conduct rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking in orbit. These software products are developed and tested in simulation environments, and we are looking to hire a software engineer to support this work. This position will build space environment simulation software and infrastructure to support the refinement of our autonomous software. This role will involve everything ranging from building cloud infrastructure, to automating simulation analysis, to supporting integrations with satellite compute hardware.
Qualifications
- Must be a US person (citizen or permanent resident)
- Willing to work from Tukwila, Washington
- Software development education or experience
- Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment
Desired Experience
- 5+ years of relevant experience
- B.S. degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or similar field
- Working knowledge of Python and C++
- Previous experience with numerical simulations
ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Where you can work
Fully remote, open only to people based in United States.
Copied from the listing Starfish Space published, verified 29 Oct 2026.
The application
Your details and CV, then 4 questions.
- 1.ITAR Eligibility Requirements: Starfish must comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Are you a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., proYes or no
- 2.Defense Contracts: Some of our important customers include the US Space Force and Space Development Agency; are you comfortable working on defense contracts?Yes or no
- 3.Work Location: We believe it's important to be in the same location regularly; are you comfortable working from Tukwila, WA? (Or other location as listed on job posting.)Yes or no
- 4.Startup Reality: Despite making some progress, as an early stage company we are unlikely to maximize your job security or salary; are you okay with that?Yes or no
Taken from the application form Starfish Space runs, verified 29 Oct 2026.
About Starfish Space
Satellite servicing spacecraft that dock with satellites in orbit.
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