Quality Assurance Engineer

We are seeking a skilled and motivated Software Quality Engineer to join our Mission Assurance team. This role sits at the intersection where software quality meets in-orbit operations, offering the opportunity to drive the operational performance of a satellite constellation.

• Define and maintain software QA processes, standards, and acceptance criteria for onboard and ground segment software across the full development lifecycle.
• Ensure that software verification and validation activities are comprehensive and correctly executed.
• Ensure the Software Development Lifecycle meets applicable quality requirements and standards.
• Where situations require deviation from defined process, ensure that this is performed safely and in a controlled manner.
• Raise, track, and manage non-conformances, ensuring corrective and preventive actions are identified and implemented effectively.
• Ensure risks are identified, evaluated and communicated effectively to the project and management team.
• Ensure that the software configuration baseline is maintained throughout development and mission lifetimes.
• Confirm all software releases are reviewed and compliant to standards.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives and ensure compliance with applicable standards (e.g. ISO 29110, ECSS-Q-ST-80, ECSS-E-ST-40, or equivalent).
• Provide Mission Assurance support to satellite operations, especially during critical mission phases such as Checkout and Commissioning, In-Orbit Verification and anomaly response.
• Lead and contribute to anomaly investigations, root cause analyses, and failure review boards, ensuring findings are well-documented and lessons are captured.
• Ensure the mission impact of anomalies is assessed and operational workarounds, corrective actions and recovery steps are appropriate.
• Identify links between incidents and coordinate response to common anomalies across the fleet.
• Ensure lessons learned are fed back to satellite development teams using non-conformance and corrective action processes.
• Liaise with software development, systems engineering and satellite operations teams to continually improve satellite operations tooling, improving Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR), increasing automation and raising the availability of the satellite fleet through transition to AI/ML based systems.
• Serve as the mission assurance interface to the operations team, software engineers, and systems engineers during anomaly investigations and resolution.

• BSc or MEng in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in a software QA, systems engineering, or mission assurance role within a highly regulated industry (e.g. aerospace, defence, banking, medical).
• Proven track record of contributing to investigations and fault finding of complex systems.
• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g. Git) and issue tracking tools.
• Understanding of software development lifecycles (Agile and/or waterfall) and associated QA activities.
• Clear and concise communicator, able to present technical findings to diverse audiences including management and non-specialist stakeholders.

• Spire operates a hybrid work model, and this position will require you to work a minimum of three days per week in the office.