Software Engineer: State Estimation & Prediction

<h3>About Lodestar</h3> <p>Lodestar's mission is to develop the first "Protect and Defend" capability for high-value space assets in orbit. Our flagship product<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em>MITHRIL</em><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>is our hardware-agnostic, AI-enabled autonomy software suite that enables us to augment any off-the-shelf spacecraft with the ability to autonomously detect, characterise, and reversibly neutralise orbital threats. By building on the proven space heritage of our best-in-class satellite-bus partners and fully integrating<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em>MITHRIL</em><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>into single unified platform, we deliver an end-to-end, autonomous in-space bodyguarding service.</p> <h3><strong>About the Job</strong></h3> <p>At Lodestar, as a<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><strong>Software Engineer: State Estimation &amp; Prediction</strong>,<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>you’ll be leading the development of our state estimation and prediction models at the core of Lodestar’s flagship product,<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em>MITHRIL</em>. You’ll be focusing on researching and developing algorithms that fuse probabilistic estimation with machine learning to track targets, predict trajectories and assess intent.</p> <p>We proudly have an "extreme ownership" oriented engineering culture.&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><strong>What You’ll Do</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Design and implement Lodestar’s core state estimation and prediction architecture for autonomous spacecraft operations</li> <li>Research and implement novel estimation and prediction algorithms - everything from lit. review, through training and tuning, to optimisation and deployment</li> <li>Develop classical and neural estimators to track the current state and trajectory of multiple dynamic targets in real time</li> <li>Create neural models to forecast future trajectories and behavioral patterns of targets</li> <li>Implement intent inference models to identify actions and dynamically rank threat levels</li> <li>Integrate state estimation and prediction models into mission simulation environments and autonomy decision systems</li> <li>Collaborate with cross-functional teams including, perception, and on-board autonomy to ensure prediction fidelity, robustness, and scalability across missions</li> </ul> <hr> <h3><strong>Basic Qualifications</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Aerospace, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, a related field, or equivalent experience</li> <li>2+ years of distinguished industry experience in state estimation, aerospace, robotics, or a related field</li> <li>Strong proficiency in C++ and Python</li> <li>Demonstrated experience with probabilistic state estimation (Kalman filters, particle filters, Bayesian inference)</li> <li>Experience with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) for sequence modeling (seq2seq, RNNs, LSTMs, Transformers)</li> <li>Familiarity with trajectory modeling, multi-body dynamics, or orbital mechanics</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Preferred Skills &amp; Experience</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Track record implementing state estimation pipelines in real-time or safety-critical systems</li> <li>Experience deploying sequence-to-sequence models for forecasting in dynamic environments</li> <li>Familiarity with sensor fusion techniques (e.g., combining radar, optical, and inertial data)</li> <li>Proficiency with GPU acceleration (CUDA, TensorRT) for neural network training and inference</li> <li>Experience with Linux, Git, and CI/CD pipelines</li> <li>Comfortable with containerization tools such as Docker and Kubernetes</li> <li>Familiarity with real-time systems, multi-threading, and performance optimization</li> <li>Strong understanding of networking and communication protocols for distributed autonomy systems</li> </ul> <hr> <h3>ITAR Requirements</h3> <p><em>To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., 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. Learn more about the ITAR<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&amp;sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987">here</a>.</em></p> <hr> <h3><strong>Compensation &amp; Benefits</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Pay Range: <ul> <li>(E1) Junior Software Engineer: $120,000 - $140,000 / year</li> <li>(E2) Software Engineer: $135,000 - $170,000 / year</li> <li>(E3) Senior Software Engineer: Competitive</li> </ul> </li> <li>Meaningful equity incentives as part of our employee option pool</li> <li>Flexible PTO with generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave</li> <li>Comprehensive medical, dental &amp; vision coverage</li> <li>401(k) retirement plan with company match</li> <li>LA</li> </ul> <hr> <h3>Additional Information</h3> <p><em>Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><strong>form of stock options</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>, and access to<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><strong>medical, vision and dental coverage</strong>, as well as<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><strong>access to a 401(k) retirement plan</strong>.</em></p> <p><em>Lodestar is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Lodestar is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.</em></p>