Vehicle Software Engineer – Rust Controls
Builds a Rust-based automation framework that lets Stoke Space teams compose vehicle and ground control behavior for benchtop checkouts, engine hotfires, and flight of the Nova reusable rocket. Day-to-day work spans Rust and Python, distributed software-hardware control abstractions, guardrails, tests, and hardware test support.
- Compensation
- $123.5K–$289.4K / yr
- Location
- Kent, Washington
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Full time
- Experience
- 2+ years
- Category
- Software engineering
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Experience with Rust and Python
- Strong systems-thinking approach with the ability to navigate complex, distributed software-hardware interactions
- Strong math background
- 2+ years of professional experience in software development, controls, or systems engineering
- Ability to prioritize, self-direct, and ask for help
- U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations (ITAR)
Nice to have
- Experience with control theory and laws
- Software language or compiler background
Full description
At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.
Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us.
Description
Automation links the Vehicle Software ecosystem to hardware intent. As a Rust Controls Engineer, your primary focus will be building an automation framework that lets end users compose vehicle behavior from building blocks you own. These building blocks will be used daily across the company to perform benchtop checkouts, engine hotfires, and flight objectives. You will define the right boundaries and guardrails to enable users to navigate a control language that is operationally flexible yet appropriately restrictive. You will also own pieces of automation, dogfooding your building blocks as your software commands the physical world around it.
You must be ready to stay focused, move fast, self-direct, and learn on the fly.
Responsibilities
- Design useful abstractions for hardware control behavior in a distributed system
- Create user-facing guardrails for an autonomy ecosystem
- Develop ground and vehicle automation
- Build software tests
- Support hardware test
Qualifications
- Experience with Rust and Python
- Strong systems-thinking approach with the ability to navigate complex, distributed software-hardware interactions
- Strong math background
- 2+ years of professional experience in software development, controls, or systems engineering
- Ability to prioritize, self-direct, and ask for help
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with control theory and laws
- Software language or compiler background
Benefits
- Equity – We know that our employees are the reason we succeed. To give everyone a stake in our future, we are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all regular, full-time employees.
- Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance