Senior Software Engineer - VLEO Orbit Estimator

Be one of the Bedo 100

Albedo is making Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) mainstream, building the infrastructure to usher every satellite mission set into this new orbital domain. We build buses, integrated satellites, and turnkey missions for customers to thrive in VLEO, between 250 km - 400 km, where proximity compounds performance and drag self-cleans debris.

As part of the first 100 employees at Albedo, you will have a big impact on Albedo’s trajectory to proliferating VLEO — whether you’re advancing hardware to increase satellite longevity, scaling production for large constellations, building next-gen flight and ground software to push performance, or enabling missions that matter for national security and our day-to-day life here on earth.

How We Operate: Albedo takes a first-principles approach — in space and in business. We move with speed, take calculated risks, and learn quickly. We use AI regularly to create leverage in every discipline across the company. We work in-person at our Broomfield CO HQ to maximize team and company productivity. We work hard and with urgency to compound our first-mover advantage.

Who We're Looking For: Builders who want to own outcomes, not tasks. Systems thinkers who balance precision with iteration while thinking about the big picture. Individuals who are energized by creating a category rather than competing in an existing one. You’ll join a team that has already proven what others said wasn’t feasible and is now scaling and upgrading our VLEO buses & payloads to serve mission sets across sensing, communications, and responsive operations.

If you can feel the excitement running through your veins, apply to be one of the Bedo 100.

What You’ll Do

• Design and implement a high-accuracy, real-time onboard orbit estimator for a VLEO spacecraft using EKF or equivalent nonlinear filtering approaches; incorporate dynamic force modeling (gravity, drag, SRP), atmospheric drag state estimation, and reprocessing of raw GNSS measurements (code and carrier phase where applicable).
• Develop and maintain the dynamic process models used in both real-time filtering and short-horizon prediction, including uncertainty propagation and covariance realism analysis suitable for maneuver planning and conjunction inputs.
• Design and validate short-term orbit prediction methods (propagation, smoothing, covariance growth characterization) and quantify prediction error during high-drag and geomagnetic storm conditions.
  
  

Support Low-thrust Operations By

• Modeling finite-burn dynamics within the estimator,

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• Performing maneuver reconstruction and thrust parameter estimation,
• Contributing to steering law and guidance design in close coordination with GNC.

• Analyze orbit–attitude–drag coupling in VLEO and incorporate those effects into estimation and prediction models.
• Generate and own robust, testable C/C++ flight software for real-time orbit determination, with strong attention to numerical stability, covariance integrity, and diagnosability.
• Build and maintain ground-based validation and regression infrastructure, including closed-loop simulation, measurement replay, Monte Carlo campaigns, and hardware-in-the-loop testing with GNSS receivers and antenna systems.
• Provide technical support for GNSS spaceflight hardware integration, including measurement modeling, command and telemetry integration, calibration analysis, and anomaly triage.
  
  

Your Ideal Skills And Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• Strong C/C++ skills for flight software development, including numerical methods, floating-point stability, and deterministic behavior on embedded processors.
• Proficiency in Python for analysis, simulation, and test automation.
• Hands-on experience with nonlinear state estimation (EKF/UKF, smoothing, batch least-squares, or factor-graph methods) and strong numerical linear algebra fundamentals.

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• Familiarity with common GNSS formats and products (RINEX, SP3, IONEX, differential code bias, and related bias products) and correction ingestion pipelines
• Deep understanding of GNSS measurement modeling (code and carrier phase), bias handling, and real-world sensor pathologies.
• Solid knowledge of GEO/MEO/LEO/VLEO orbital perturbations (gravity harmonics, drag variability, SRP) and their representation in dynamic models.
• Experience with covariance propagation, filter consistency testing (NEES/NIS), and operational health monitoring.
• Experience integrating GNSS receivers, antennas, and optionally IMUs; familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop validation is strongly preferred.
• Experience with control theory and guidance for low-thrust or drag-modulated flight is a plus.
• Experience designing regression tests, Monte Carlo campaigns, and closed-loop simulation environments.
• Comfort leveraging modern AI-assisted development tools with strong verification discipline and traceability.
  
  

Even if you feel like you don’t meet all of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply! Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalized people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications.

Salary Range

$130,000 - $155,000 per year

Compensation And Benefits For Full-Time Roles

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• Employee friendly equity compensation
• 4% direct matching 401k
• Health Insurance: 100% employee coverage & 75% dependent coverage
• Parental leave and childcare coverage
• Flexible vacation and sick time from day one
• 12 company holidays
• $100 monthly wellness benefit
• Relocation package if not based in Denver
  
  

The final compensation package is subject to change if the candidate's experience and company need drive a different job level than originally slated for the position.

Albedo does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to Albedo employees. Albedo is not responsible for any fees or overhead related to unsolicited resumes.

Additional Requirements: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. All persons hired will be required to be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled: Albedo is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Relocation: Relocation support for this position is available