Principal Full Stack Software Engineer

About Us

Space Machines Company (SMC) is transforming the future of space operations with a bold mission: to deliver Roadside Assistance in Space.

As orbit becomes more congested and contested, we act as the "first responders" protecting the satellites that power life on Earth—from communications to navigation. Partnering with both commercial operators and government agencies, we're strengthening space resilience and enabling the growth of a sustainable space economy.

We're building this critical capability through hyperscale spacecraft manufacturing—delivering Optimus Viper spacecraft at mass-production economics with rapid-response capability.

The future of space is one where satellites are monitored, maintained, and protected in orbit. At SMC, we're making that future real.

Why Join Us

We're a start-up — things move fast, resources are lean, and we're building as we go.

What we offer is opportunity: to learn at speed, grow with the company, and leave your fingerprints on something that's never been done before. At Space Machines Company, engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers join forces to push the limits of what's possible.

If you want to build technology designed to protect and power humanity's future in space — and see your work make a visible impact — this is where you'll do it.

How We Work

We are builders first.

We approach every challenge through a cycle of design, build, test, and refine — making ideas real, learning from results, and improving with each iteration.

We challenge assumptions to make sure we're solving the right problems, and we strengthen our solutions through collaboration and feedback.

We use process where it adds value and set it aside where it slows us down. There are a lot of firsts here, and we meet them with curiosity and courage.

We win as one team.

Requirements:
As our Principal Full Stack Software Engineer, you won’t just manage a codebase, you will own the terminal through which we touch the stars. You are the architect of our online Command and Control (C2) systems, bridging the gap between complex orbital mechanics and seamless operator experiences. You’ll be taking our modern stack built on Elixir, Phoenix, and React and evolving it into a world-class platform capable of managing constellations.

What you'll own:

The Global C2 Core: Architect and scale a high-concurrency system leveraging Elixir, Phoenix, and Ash to handle live telemetry from LEO constellations.

Complex Spatial Visualisation: Lead the development of high-fidelity, interactive Three.js and React environments that turn large volumes of heterogeneous data into intuitive 3D mission insights and advanced algorithms.

Autonomous Reliability: Design the web-side counterparts to our ROS2 flight software and translate space logic (like Fault Detection and Recovery) into robust software patterns that ensure the safety of our satellites 500km above Earth.

System Integrity: Oversee a robust PostgreSQL data strategy that serves as the "single source of truth" for mission analysts and automated dispatchers.

Technical Stewardship: Lead and mentor a team of talented engineers, fostering an AI-Native mindset where we use modern tools to move faster while maintaining "flight-grade" quality.

Industry Knowledge: Stay abreast of the latest developments in software systems

About You

You'll thrive in this role if you bring:

A builder's mindset — turning ideas and theory into working systems through hands-on development, simulation, and testing.

An iterative approach — designing, building, testing, learning, and improving with each cycle. Comfortable with weekly integration cadence and rapid validation of new algorithms.

Collaboration and curiosity — working across disciplines and exploring beyond your own expertise. Exploring beyond your own expertise to solve novel problems in novel ways.

Adaptability and ownership — thriving in a fast-scaling, evolving environment where requirements emerge from building. Driving outcomes end to end without waiting for perfect specifications.

What you bring?

• 5+ years working with full stack systems delivering complex solutions
• 3+ years experience working with Three.js/React in Typescript for frontend, Elixir/Phoenix/PostgreSQL for backend
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Software Engineering or a related discipline
• A strong testing focus and understanding of DevOps and SecDevOps, including CI/CD
• Strong git and GitHub/GitLab/BitBucket experience

Bonus experience:

• Experience in Space, Aerospace, Robotics, or Defence (Highly desirable, but an interest in space is a great start).
• Familiarity with the Ash Framework, Rust, or Python.
• Experience with 3D coordinate systems, frames of reference, or dense sensor data.
• Practical experience integrating AI/ML techniques into production workflows.
• You thrive in fast-paced environments where resourcefulness is a requirement.

Benefits:
What You Actually Get

You won't get rich quickly. But you'll get:

Competitive salary – Fair pay for hard work. Commensurate with experience and the impact you'll have.

Meaningful equity (ESOP) – Real ownership stake. Stock options that matter because you're joining early enough for them to matter. If we win, you win.

Actual leave – Annual leave plus personal/sick days. Because even warriors need to recover.

Public holidays – All of them.

And freedom. Real freedom to build, decide, and move without waiting for permission. That's not a benefit you'll find in a package description, but it's worth more than most perks on this list.