Job Description
Senior Software Engineer, Aerospace Overview HighQ is proving that cutting-edge avionics designs don't require multi-year timelines or legacy aerospace bureaucracy. We bring bespoke avionics designs to one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft and spacecraft. We deliver the system architecture, custom electronics, and embedded software that mission-critical programs demand, all from a single integrated team. If you're an engineer who wants to do full-stack work—not just a piece of it—this is the place. You'll design end-to-end digital flight systems that combine high reliability with rapid iteration. You'll own problems from architecture through deployment. You'll work directly with customers and see your designs fly. And you'll do it alongside people who've already proven themselves on hard problems in aerospace, and are building the next generation of solutions. For engineers who refuse to be siloed, or those that can't accept the traditional aerospace timeline, HighQ is what you’ve been looking for. Position Details Title: Software Engineer Location: Hybrid, Denver, CO Compensation: $135,000 - 195,000 per year (based on experience) Roles & Responsibilities As a software engineer at HighQ Aero, you’ll craft high performance and mission critical code across the software stack. You will have the chance to apply your expertise bringing flight hardware to life, empowering avionics and digital systems for a variety of projects, typically focusing on unique prototype aircraft and spacecraft. Software at HighQ is mission critical and is at the heart of the projects we take on. The ideal candidate is a recent graduate or early-career engineer with strong fundamentals, genuine curiosity, and the determination to learn through hands-on experience. You'll work alongside experienced engineers who are passionate about mentoring the next generation. The following are examples of common responsibilities at HighQ, although experience is not necessarily required in any of the following: Systems and Data Platform Software Engineering: Design and implement the software that acquires, processes, and moves instrumentation data on experimental aircraft and spacecraft. This includes software that interfaces with low level peripherals and buses, as well as digital systems architecture including data aggregation, on-the-fly derivations, and engineering calculation such as frequency analysis, structural modal calculations, air data derivations, and telemetry pipelines. Instrumentation and Telemetry Data Visualization and Analysis: Successful expansion of the test envelope requires getting live telemetry and data to engineers so they can make real-time go/no-go decisions. Collaborate with engineers to implement data visualizations that enable decision making. Help craft the full-stack, sensor to eyeball analysis tooling to make this all possible. Hardware in the Loop Pipelining and Development: A good flight test program starts with confidence that all software and hardware components are effectively integrated. In addition to adding features and crafting code, demonstrate good integration practices by implementing robust hardware in the loop testing and development pipelines. Get hands on with hardware in the lab to ensure the code you write works on the hardware we deploy. Required Qualifications Minimum of 3 years of programming experience in a systems-level programming language, preferably one that focuses on concurrency and memory safety (Rust, go, C++23) Experience working with single board computer systems or embedded systems Knowledge and expertise with network communications protocols Comfortable working in an agile-like environment, managing roadmaps, blockers and tailoring deliverables to evolving customer needs Familiarity with continuous integration and delivery Experience developing on Linux platforms Ability to work independently and take ownership of significant technical deliverables Strong communication skills to convey complex technical concepts to team members, customers, and stakeholders Preferred Qualifications Experience integrating complex, heterogeneous data types including sensor data, audio and visual data, time series, geospatial, and static reference materials (e.g. test cards, ICDs, component documentation) Proficiency in a data analysis programming language (Python || MATLAB || Julia || R || Perl), preferably Python Familiarity with automated unit and integration testing and code coverage Networking and Interface knowledge (TCP/IP && Ethernet || Serial || UART)