--- title: 'Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Flight Software at Heart Aerospace' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-software-engineer-flight-software-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-3j8qasd2ak5j' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-11' --- # Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Flight Software at Heart Aerospace - **Company:** Heart Aerospace - **Location:** Los Angeles, CA - **Posted:** 2026-02-19 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/heartaerospace/jobs/4137072009 ## Job description Los Angeles, CA Role Overview: At Heart Aerospace we are developing the ES-30, a regional hybrid-electric airplane with a capacity of 30 passengers, an electric zero-emission range of 200 km and an extended hybrid range of 400 km. Heart is targeting type certification of the ES-30 by the end of the decade. ## Your mission As a Senior/Staff Software Engineer on the Flight Software Team, you are responsible for all aspects the development of the software on the aircraft. You will interface with other engineers to develop and understand requirements, architect and writing high quality code, build tests and test infrastructure, documentation, and provide support through the software lifecycle. You will report to the Manager of Flight Software and collaborate with other engineers as part of a multi-functional team. Every engineer on the team is responsible for laying the technological foundation for the aircraft software and supporting systems, including but not limited to implementing aircraft control functions on embedded systems, developing aircraft models and simulation tools, implementing critical fault tolerance mechanisms, and building hardware and software test systems. Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to: - Create highly reliable embedded software that control critical systems on Heart’s aircraft. - Work with interdisciplinary teams to scope, design and build next generation hybrid electric aircraft capabilities, including engine controllers, battery management systems, flight control actuators, flight control systems and aircraft data networks. - Develop tools that allow for test execution across multiple environments, ranging from high fidelity simulated software environments, to full scale test stands. - Invent new systems that enable more frequent and reliable software deployment, test execution, and data analysis as part of a continuous integration and release system. - Mentor junior engineers and set best practices for the team. You'll Bring These Qualifications as a Senior Software Engineer: - Bachelor's or above in computer science, electrical engineering, or similar engineering discipline. - 5+ years professional experience writing safety-critical code for vehicles, or similar applications. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. - Passion for aircraft and Heart’s mission. You'll Bring These Qualifications as a Staff Software Engineer: - 8+ years professional experience writing safety-critical code for vehicles, or similar applications. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. The ideal candidate would have: - Significant experience writing software in Rust, Python, C, C++, or a similar systems language. - Experience writing code for execution in an embedded environment (microcontrollers, bare metal, RTOS, embedded OS). - Experience modeling cyber-physical systems (6 DoF Simulators, Monte Carlos, Battery Pack Models). - Strong systems design fundamentals. Experience architecting software systems (and contributing requirements to hardware design) for vehicle systems. Experience with various approaches to fault tolerance and fault mitigation. - Significant experience with software and hardware test development. Experience with unit tests, CI/CD, integration testing, data collection and management, report generation, fuzzing and other advanced automated test methods. - Experience developing software under a functional safety compliant process (for example, compliant to IEC 61508, ISO 26262, DO-178C, or similar). Strong understanding of functional safety and how to apply it to software development. Base Pay Range: - Senior Software Engineer: $155,000 —$193,000 USD. - Staff Software Engineer: $190,000 —$238,000 USD. ## About Heart Aerospace ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Heart Aerospace is developing hybrid‑electric regional aircraft to lower the cost of commercial aviation. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series B, $190 M total funding [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)) - **Headquarters**: Torrance, California, USA (with additional offices in Gothenburg, Sweden; Plattsburgh, NY; and Oxnard, CA [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)) - **Founded**: 2019 (Y Combinator W19 batch [heartaerospace.com/about](https://heartaerospace.com/about)) - **Founders**: Anders Forslund (CEO) and Klara Forslund (Chief Business Officer) [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Aerospace / Electric Aviation - **Target customers**: Airlines, regional carriers, and passengers (B2B focus) - **Mission**: To lower the cost of commercial aviation through electrification, software, and modern manufacturing [heartaerospace.com/our-mission](https://www.heartaerospace.com/our-mission) ## Products & Services - **[ES‑30](https://www.heartaerospace.com/)**: A 30‑seat hybrid‑electric regional aircraft designed for short‑haul routes with zero CO₂ emissions in electric mode. - **[Heart X1](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company)**: A full‑scale technology demonstrator (largest electric aircraft ever flown) used to validate propulsion architecture and flight characteristics. - **Electric propulsion systems**: In‑house development of electric motors, batteries, and power electronics for aviation. - **Software‑defined aircraft**: Systems that improve reliability, streamline updates, and enable automation for lower lifecycle costs [heartaerospace.com/our-mission](https://www.heartaerospace.com/our-mission). ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding of $190 M (as of early 2025) [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company) - **Notable Investors & Partners**: Breakthrough Energy Ventures (lead, Series A), United Airlines, Mesa Air Group, Y Combinator [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company) - **Growth Signals**: - Moved corporate HQ to Torrance, CA in April 2025 to anchor in the LA aerospace ecosystem. - Opened an R&D centre and pilot plant in Los Angeles. - Established a flight test base in Plattsburgh, NY. - Rolled out the Heart X1 demonstrator in September 2024 and completed ground service tests. - First flight of the X1 (the largest electric aircraft ever flown) achieved in 2025–2026 [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company). - Team size of 100+ employees with deep aerospace certification experience. ## Competitive Advantages - **Hybrid‑electric propulsion**: Reduces operating costs by replacing jet fuel with cheaper electricity and simplifying maintenance. - **Modern manufacturing approach**: Designed for scale and lower unit cost compared to traditional aerospace production. - **Software‑defined aircraft**: Enables continuous improvement, better reliability, and lower lifecycle expenses. - **Deep certification expertise**: Team has hands‑on experience building and certifying aircraft for global markets. - **Iterative development**: Rapid testing with subscale and full‑scale demonstrators de‑risks the path to commercial service. ## Strategic Focus - Certify the ES‑30 and enter commercial service by the end of this decade [heartaerospace.com/about](https://heartaerospace.com/about). - Continue iterative validation using the X1 demonstrator and “iron bird” test facility. - Build the ecosystem of charging infrastructure, services, and partnerships to unlock the regional aviation market [heartaerospace.com/company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company). - Expand engineering and manufacturing capabilities in the US and Sweden. ## Why Work Here - **Impact**: Work on one of the most promising clean‑tech opportunities in aviation – reducing cost and emissions for short‑haul flights. - **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on rapid prototyping, real‑world testing, and cross‑disciplinary collaboration (propulsion, flight software, structures, manufacturing). - **Locations**: Major hubs in Los Angeles (Torrance) and Gothenburg, Sweden, with a growing US presence (Plattsburgh, NY; Oxnard, CA). - **Hybrid/remote**: Many engineering roles are based on‑site at the LA or Gothenburg facilities, reflecting the hands‑on nature of hardware development. - **Notable perks**: Opportunity to join a well‑funded YC‑backed hardtech startup with a strong mission; offices located in leading aerospace ecosystems; potential for rapid career growth as the company scales. ## Sources 1. [Heart Aerospace Careers](https://www.heartaerospace.com/careers) 2. [Heart Aerospace Homepage](https://www.heartaerospace.com/) 3. [Heart Aerospace – About](https://heartaerospace.com/about) 4. [Heart Aerospace – Company](https://www.heartaerospace.com/company) 5. [Heart Aerospace – Our Mission](https://www.heartaerospace.com/our-mission) ## Other roles at Heart Aerospace - [Staff/Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, Flight Mechanisms](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-principal-mechanical-design-engineer-flight-mechanisms-heart-aerospace-20znawbeh3d1) — Los Angeles, CA - [Business Development Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-lead-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-mpvc8vbh4sps) — Los Angeles, CA - [Mechanical Design, Structures & Airframe – Engineer II/Senior](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-design-structures-airframe-engineer-ii-senior-heart-aerospace-los-jx7xcbeykmae) — Los Angeles, CA - [Executive Operations Partner, Office of the CEO (OCEO)](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-operations-partner-office-of-the-ceo-oceo-heart-aerospace-torrance-s3nhhhtaaxcq) — Torrance, CA - [Buyer II](https://feeny.ai/job/buyer-ii-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-f1ejhed5wjyn) — Los Angeles, CA - [Senior/Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Flight Mechanisms](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-mechanical-design-engineer-flight-mechanisms-heart-aerospace-los-n577vxx0kyc5) — Los Angeles, CA - [CNC Programmer / Machinist](https://feeny.ai/job/cnc-programmer-machinist-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-pk0v37tkpght) — Los Angeles, CA - [Integration Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/integration-engineer-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-jpckyjysfgz4) — Los Angeles, CA - [Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-7chqx9qfw6sk) — Los Angeles, CA - [Battery Mechanical Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/battery-mechanical-design-engineer-heart-aerospace-los-angeles-9yfp6z56y8hb) — Los Angeles, CA