Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Senior Software Development Engineer jobs in Los Angeles are concentrated in entertainment tech, aerospace software, fintech, and enterprise SaaS, with demand strongest in Silicon Beach, Culver City, and El Segundo. Employers actively hiring include MACH INDUSTRIES, Commure, and Xsolla. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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About Varda
Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda's W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.
From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.
Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
The Senior Embedded Software Engineer on the Flight Software team is responsible for determining how our spacecraft behaves & operates in orbit and building reliable software to ensure it happens. They are responsible for all phases of development, starting from requirements capture through testing and flight operational support.
Responsibilities
- Develop reliable firmware to control how the spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate through the entire mission.
- Own all aspects of software development, from design, testing, and integration.
- Scope projects including requirements capture and initial design trades given open-ended problems.
- Write quality structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux based software for embedded processors in C++.
- Build highly reliable and available software systems.
- Ensure system quality and performance through software test, verification, and validation (V&V) techniques.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering or equivalent technical experience in safety critical software.
- 5+ years of experience in the development of spacecraft or similar safety critical software.
- Experience developing and testing real-time embedded hardware / software systems.
- Experience with development in C++, along with a strong understanding of language concepts.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience with safety-critical software, especially for aerospace applications.
- Experience with additional programming languages such as Python or Rust.
- Strong understanding of computer architecture, operating systems, data structures, and computer networking.
Pay Range
- Salary range: Senior Software Engineer: $169,067 - $216,031/ per year.
- This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
- Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
- You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
Benefits
Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.
Regular Full-Time Positions:
Health & Wellness
- Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
- Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
- 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
- Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
Financial & Retirement
- Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
- 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Relocation support for new hires, if needed
Workplace Experience & Perks
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
Benefits for Internship Positions:
Health & Wellness
- Paid observed holidays.
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses.
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents.
Financial
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement.
- Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible
- Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible.
Workplace Experience & Perks
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
ITAR Requirements
Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire "U.S. persons" who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.
"US person" means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
Read more Read more
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
About Varda
Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda's W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.
From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.
Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
The Senior Embedded Software Engineer on the Flight Software team is responsible for determining how our spacecraft behaves & operates in orbit and building reliable software to ensure it happens. They are responsible for all phases of development, starting from requirements capture through testing and flight operational support.
Responsibilities
- Develop reliable firmware to control how the spacecraft, satellite bus, and reentry capsule operate through the entire mission.
- Own all aspects of software development, from design, testing, and integration.
- Scope projects including requirements capture and initial design trades given open-ended problems.
- Write quality structured bare metal, RTOS, or Linux based software for embedded processors in C++.
- Build highly reliable and available software systems.
- Ensure system quality and performance through software test, verification, and validation (V&V) techniques.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering or equivalent technical experience in safety critical software.
- 5+ years of experience in the development of spacecraft or similar safety critical software.
- Experience developing and testing real-time embedded hardware / software systems.
- Experience with development in C++, along with a strong understanding of language concepts.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience with safety-critical software, especially for aerospace applications.
- Experience with additional programming languages such as Python or Rust.
- Strong understanding of computer architecture, operating systems, data structures, and computer networking.
Pay Range
- Salary range: Senior Software Engineer: $169,067 - $216,031/ per year.
- This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
- Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
- You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
Benefits
Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.
Regular Full-Time Positions:
Health & Wellness
- Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
- Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
- 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
- Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
Financial & Retirement
- Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
- 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Relocation support for new hires, if needed
Workplace Experience & Perks
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
Benefits for Internship Positions:
Health & Wellness
- Paid observed holidays.
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses.
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents.
Financial
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement.
- Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible
- Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible.
Workplace Experience & Perks
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
ITAR Requirements
Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire "U.S. persons" who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.
"US person" means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
Read more Read more
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
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Find JobsSenior Software Development Engineer Job Market in Los Angeles
Who's Hiring
- MACH INDUSTRIES168
- Commure112
- Xsolla56
- Hermeus56
- Metropolis56
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
Senior Software Development Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a senior software development engineer job in Los Angeles?
Target the sectors driving most local hiring: entertainment technology, aerospace and defense software, fintech, and enterprise SaaS. Silicon Beach companies in Santa Monica and Venice, defense contractors in El Segundo, and streaming and media firms in Culver City and Burbank all post senior engineering roles consistently. Candidates who can show distributed systems experience or cross-platform expertise gain an edge in Los Angeles's hybrid entertainment-and-tech market.
Which companies hire senior software development engineers in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles senior software development engineer roles are posted by MACH INDUSTRIES, Commure, and Xsolla and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. The market includes a mix of major streaming and media companies, aerospace primes, early-growth fintechs, and enterprise software firms with regional headquarters across the metro.
Are there remote senior software development engineer jobs in Los Angeles?
Yes, and senior software development engineering is one of the more remote-compatible roles given its desk-based, collaborative-tools-driven nature. About 40% of senior software development engineer openings tied to Los Angeles are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with fully remote positions most common at SaaS and media-tech companies headquartered in the Silicon Beach corridor.
How can I get a senior software development engineer job in Los Angeles with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path locally is through associate or mid-level software engineering roles at Los Angeles-based startups in Silicon Beach or Culver City, where smaller teams allow faster responsibility growth. Aerospace and defense contractors in El Segundo also hire engineers into structured rotational programs. Building a public portfolio of full-stack or systems projects and contributing to open-source work visible to local hiring managers gives candidates a measurable edge at this level.
Which industries hire the most senior software development engineers in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles senior software development engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Los Angeles's unusual combination of a major entertainment and streaming ecosystem alongside legacy aerospace and defense contractors, plus a fast-growing fintech sector, creates sustained demand across those industries throughout the year.
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