Katalyst builds spacecraft that rendezvous with, capture, and service other spacecraft. Our vehicle is in orbit right now, and the robotic systems it carries, the arm, the vision pipeline, the docking capability, are the point of the mission, not a demo. The software that runs them is what you would own. Small team, real hardware, your code flies.
What you will do
Own robotics-facing flight software end to end: motion and actuator control applications, the vision-to-GNC data path, and safe degraded behavior when hardware misbehaves
Write modern C++ that commands real actuators, arms, gimbals, and mechanisms, and Python where it moves faster
Take pose from camera to control loop: consume, validate, and gate vision solutions so guidance never acts on stale or bad data
Prove your work on our hardware-in-the-loop bench and flatsat before it flies, then watch it fly and own what happens next
Work directly with GNC, avionics, and operations, and defend your design decisions to the people who depend on them
What we need
Strong C++ on real systems, and working Python
Hands-on experience making software meet hardware: bring-up, debugging with real instrumentation, serial buses (CAN, RS-422, SPI/I2C, Ethernet)
The instinct to challenge an assumption, back the challenge with data, and convince people. Engineers here make the call and defend it.
Engineer: 2+ years. Senior: 6+ years. Principal: 10+ years. Years are a guide, not a gate. Robots, vehicles, instruments, or spacecraft all count, and aerospace experience is not required to succeed here. Plenty of what we need was learned on things that never left the ground.
BS in engineering, computer science, robotics, or mechatronics, or equivalent proficiency. We mean the "or".
US person (ITAR). No security clearance required, this is commercial servicing.
Nice to have
Real-time/RTOS or embedded Linux flight software
HIL or SIL test infrastructure you built or ran yourself
Pose estimation, state estimation, perception consumption, or motion planning exposure
ROS/ROS2, cFS, or other robotics and space middleware. We fly our own framework today, and we evolve it deliberately: if you bring strong patterns from somewhere else, you get a real voice in where the architecture goes, not a foreign codebase you are stuck with.
How we interview, because we think it matters
Three conversations and one working session, all of it with us in the room. A short screen, a 45-minute technical conversation, then a 2-hour on-site: a small synthetic codebase seeded with a real class of bug from orbit, your choice of problem track and level, using any tools you normally would, AI assistants included. You present and defend what you did to a small panel and walk a few ops scenarios. Everyone gets the same session, scored against the level you chose. Every stage is scheduled within 5 business days of the last, we fly you in for the on-site, and if you need an accommodation for any of it, say so and we work it out.
Additional Requirements: Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
Compensation and Benefits: Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is: Engineer $105,000 - $150,000, Senior $160,000 - $210,000, Principal $200,000 - $250,000, base plus equity for every engineer
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off.
At Katalyst our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130, which requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR-controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst would have to ensure any non-US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.
