Vehicle Software Engineer – Rust Controls
Stoke Space
Kent, WA · Posted September 1, 2026
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Where Kent, WA ranks
Where Kent, WA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for junior jobs in the Pacific Northwest38% · of 17
- #1Best cities for junior jobs in Washington38% · of 12
- #2Best cities for junior jobs in the West Coast38% · of 71
- #5Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Pacific Northwest14% · of 12
- #5Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Pacific Northwest57% · of 17
- #8Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the Pacific Northwest0.7% · of 16
Rankings about engineering jobs
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- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
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- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
Among software developers, AI is already used for some of the tasks. Measured exposure for software developers: 29% (some).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
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About the job
At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.
Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us.
Description
Automation links the Vehicle Software ecosystem to hardware intent. As a Rust Controls Engineer, your primary focus will be building an automation framework that lets end users compose vehicle behavior from building blocks you own. These building blocks will be used daily across the company to perform benchtop checkouts, engine hotfires, and flight objectives. You will define the right boundaries and guardrails to enable users to navigate a control language that is operationally flexible yet appropriately restrictive. You will also own pieces of automation, dogfooding your building blocks as your software commands the physical world around it.
You must be ready to stay focused, move fast, self-direct, and learn on the fly.
Responsibilities
Design useful abstractions for hardware control behavior in a distributed system
Create user-facing guardrails for an autonomy ecosystem
Develop ground and vehicle automation
Build software tests
Support hardware test
Qualifications
Experience with Rust and Python
Strong systems-thinking approach with the ability to navigate complex, distributed software-hardware interactions
Strong math background
2+ years of professional experience in software development, controls, or systems engineering
Ability to prioritize, self-direct, and ask for help
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with control theory and laws
Software language or compiler background
Benefits
Equity – We know that our employees are the reason we succeed. To give everyone a stake in our future, we are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all regular, full-time employees.
Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
Company-paid life and disability insurance
401(k) plan with employer match
4 weeks’ Paid Time Off
Holidays – 11 days (including an end-of-year closure)
Paid Family/Parental Leave
On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location)
Dog friendly offices!
Compensation
Target Levels:
Level 2 range: $123,480 - $185,220
Level 3 range: $154,350 - $231,525
Level 4 range: $192,885 - $289,380
Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis.
Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.
#LI-CP1
ITAR Requirements
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. (i.e., current Green Card holder), or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
Equal Opportunity
The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including with respect to disability and veteran status. It is committed to compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII. It does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, citizenship, immigration status, or any other protected class when it comes to employment practices, including hiring.
Employment at the Company is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and background checks, and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. Employees must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements, and, therefore, they must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 at the start of employment and re-verify authorization to work periodically.
Separate from this I-9 process, as noted above, this position entails access to certain technology and technical data that is restricted under U.S. export control laws and regulations. Employment or continued employment may be conditioned on your legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials as necessary to perform your job.
Candidate Rights & Accommodations
If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or participate in the interview process, please contact careers@stokespace.com . Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws. Please do not include medical or other confidential information in your initial request.
For more information about your rights, please refer to the "Know Your Rights" notice here .
E-Verify
Stoke Space uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.
For more information on the right to work, please refer to the poster here .