Software Engineer, Hardware Test & Automation

About the company

Cowboy Space is a startup building orbital data-center satellites and an in-house rocket program to launch them.

About this role

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.   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