Lead Software Engineer, Astrodynamics & Space Domain Awareness

Katalyst Description:

At Katalyst, we see human expansion into space not as a distant future, but as a present reality. As this growth accelerates, the need for advanced, reliable spacecraft has never been more critical. We are standing at this forefront specializing in rendezvous and proximity operations creating spacecraft that can reconfigure, refuel, inspect and protect satellites on orbit rapidly, routinely, and regularly. In order to accomplish our mission, we also process data from a network of space-based sensors, both existing and deployable upgrades, using state of the art machine learning and advanced orbital dynamic filtering algorithms to increase space domain awareness, becoming the eyes and ears on orbit.

You might be a great fit for our team if you want to:

• Accelerate your growth—skip the corporate ladder and forge your own path.


• Embrace challenges and ambiguity; both failure and success are steps to solutions.


• Tackle the toughest problems in the space industry and reshape its future, working side by side on a team that’s bought into the mission.

Role Description:

Our technology vision relies on spacecraft that don’t just fly—they adapt, collaborate, and evolve. Central to this vision is software powered by advanced astrodynamics. As Astrodynamics Lead Engineer, you’ll develop the algorithms that enable autonomous tracking, prediction, and decision-making to advance space domain awareness. You’ll lead modeling, simulation, and sensor performance efforts that turn raw orbital data into real-time operational insights. In this role, you’ll provide both technical direction and team leadership, guiding a multidisciplinary group to deliver high-impact software. Your work will enable our spacecraft to serve as the eyes on orbit, detecting, understanding, and responding to objects and events across space.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the technical lead for Katalyst’s cislunar SSA/SDA software


• Evaluate technical feasibility of product features


• Understand and address the risks and challenges of maintaining custody in the cislunar domain


• Build out and test modeling and simulation for cislunar SDA architectures, including cislunar dynamics, sensor modeling, and visualization for performance characterization and developing scenario/test case development


• Design and develop algorithms for orbit determination and state and uncertainty propagation in the context of cislunar astrodynamics and distributed systems


• Establish and monitor key performance parameters and measures of effectiveness


• Lead a project with a team of diverse skillsets and experience.


• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to software team members


• Collaborate with the project manager to define then execute projects on time and within budget.


• Define team roles and set clear expectations while providing direction and accountability

Qualifications:

Required:

• A technical degree with an emphasis in orbital mechanics, mission design, and/or state and uncertainty estimation


• Experience in modeling and simulation


• Excellent problem-solving skills and an intuitive grasp of complex astrodynamics challenges


• Capability to develop and implement modeling and simulation tools


• Experience in navigation filtering, sensor modeling, and Kalman filtering


• Experience with orbit analysis tools, i.e., GMAT, STK, Monte, Copernicus

Desired:

• Proficiency in software engineering and best practices


• Data science and machine learning methods


• Strong knowledge in network architectures and sensing related to SDA


• Ability to understand and map user perspectives to technical solutions


• Strong communication skills to effectively convey technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders


• Proven track record in leading the development of novel cislunar algorithms

Additional Requirements :

Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

Compensation and Benefits:

Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is $140,000 - $190,000 annually.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off.

At Katalyst our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130, which requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR-controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst would have to ensure any non-US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.