Associate Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Terran Orbital Corporation•Irvine, CA

2d•$80,000 - $105,000

About The Position

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond! Terran Orbital is seeking a motivated Associate Software Quality Assurance Engineer to support our dynamic Flight Software Engineering team. Reporting to the Director of Program Engineering, the Associate Software Quality Assurance Engineer is ideal for early‑career engineers who want to build a strong foundation in software testing, tooling, and automation while supporting our Flight Software team. Over time, individuals in this role may grow into a Test Software Engineer with expanded responsibilities within the test and tools domain or may choose to transition into Flight Software or Ground Software roles contributing directly to product development. You will contribute directly to delivering high‑quality software for innovative satellite missions.

Requirements

B.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
0+ years of experience (internships, academic projects, or personal projects are welcome)
Interest in testing C/C++ applications for embedded, high‑performance, or safety‑critical systems
Highly motivated, responsible, and eager to learn in a fast‑paced engineering environment
Strong written and verbal communication skills
S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance

Nice To Haves

Experience with Linux and GNU tools (make, gcc, gdb)
Familiarity with virtualization/container tools such as VirtualBox, VMWare, Docker, Hyper‑V, or Vagrant
Exposure to C++ build systems such as CMake or Makefiles
Basic experience with vulnerability or static analysis tools (cppcheck, dependency-track, CodeQL, JFrog, etc.)
Exposure to building software for embedded processors or microcontrollers
Experience with scripting languages such as Bash or Python
Experience collaborating on team-based software projects (school, internships, open source, etc.)

Responsibilities

Support creation and execution of test plans for thorough, consistent, and independent evaluation of flight software
Assist in integrating and testing software in simulation, flight-replica, flight-vehicle, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments
Help develop automated flashing and testing workflows for physical devices
Contribute to documenting testing procedures and results
Create and track bug tickets or release tickets in coordination with the development team
Support the development of software verification artifacts
Collaborate with software, firmware, and FPGA engineers and coordinate release activities with Configuration Management
Assist in tracking performance metrics to support continuous improvement
Learn and support installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of embedded and non‑embedded toolchains from various vendors
Participate in automating testing processes and improving test frameworks
Help maintain and enhance software build systems (e.g., GitHub-based pipelines)
Incorporate DevSecOps principles into build and test systems to reduce software risk