Software Engineer, Hardware Test & Automation

About Cowboy Space Corp

MissionCowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Background• Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport.• Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure. Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases.• Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system. Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others.• This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation ’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

The Role

We are looking for a Build & Test Engineer to own our hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) test infrastructure: the racks, tooling, and automation that run real flight software against real or emulated spacecraft hardware, including the satellite bus, flight computer, and other subsystems. Today, HITL coverage lives with engineers who carry it alongside other primary responsibilities; this role makes it a dedicated function that every flight program can rely on. You will extend and harden our existing test tooling so it is reusable across multiple concurrent programs rather than rebuilt for each one, and you will treat other engineers as your customers.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, build-out, and operation of hardware-in-the-loop test infrastructure that exercises real flight software against real or emulated spacecraft hardware

• Extend and harden existing internal test tooling into a reusable platform that serves multiple concurrent flight programs, rather than one-off setups per program

• Develop and maintain hardware emulation and simulation of spacecraft subsystems where flight hardware is unavailable or scarce

• Build automation for test orchestration, scheduling, and reporting so HITL runs are repeatable, self-service, and integrated into continuous integration workflows

• Stand up, configure, and maintain HITL test racks and supporting lab equipment, including power, data, and instrumentation interfaces

• Define interfaces and conventions that let flight software, avionics, and systems engineers add their own tests without deep knowledge of the test stack

• Partner with flight software, electrical, and systems teams to define test coverage, prioritize gaps, and validate new hardware and software releases before integration and flight

• Investigate test failures and anomalies, distinguish infrastructure issues from genuine flight software or hardware defects, and drive root cause analysis to closure

• Manage configuration, versioning, and traceability of test environments so results are reproducible and trustworthy

• Document the test infrastructure and champion its adoption, making it the default path for verification across the company

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience (or equivalent practical experience) in test infrastructure, embedded software, hardware/software integration, or a related discipline

• Strong programming skills in Python, C/C++, or similar languages for test automation and tooling

• Hands-on experience testing software against physical hardware, including working with lab equipment such as power supplies, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers

• Experience with common embedded communication interfaces (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet)

• Experience building tools, frameworks, or infrastructure used by other engineers, with a demonstrated instinct for reusability, reliability, and maintainability over one-off solutions

• Familiarity with version control, continuous integration, and automated test workflows

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field

• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing for spacecraft, aircraft, automotive, robotics, or other high-reliability systems

• Experience designing or maintaining test racks, harnessing, and lab infrastructure at scale

• Familiarity with hardware emulation or simulation techniques for subsystems that are not available as physical units

• Experience supporting multiple programs or teams from a shared platform, and balancing their competing needs

• Understanding of flight software concepts such as real-time systems, fault detection and recovery, and command and telemetry handling

• Experience debugging issues that cross hardware/software boundaries and communicating findings clearly to other teams

• Experience working in fast-paced, high-ownership environments with rapid iteration cycles

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $200,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement savings plan

• Paid time off

• 10 paid holidays per calendar year

• Paid parental leave

• Relocation assistance if applicable

• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants 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. Learn more about ITAR here.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.