Icarus was founded on the belief that the Stratosphere is the Forgotten Frontier and that reclaiming it will define the next era of aerospace and what is possible from the sky. We build solar-powered aircraft that fly at 60,000 ft for weeks at a time, delivering persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from this layer of the atmosphere.
MissionRe-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere.
What you'll doBuild and own end-to-end software systems that power flight operations, autonomy, and user interactionDevelop mission-critical backend services for telemetry, command and control, data ingestion, and analyticsBuild clean, fast frontends for ground control, monitoring, and operator workflowsDesign APIs and data pipelines that connect aircraft, ground stations, and usersWork closely with embedded, avionics, GNC, RF, and operations teams to ship tightly integrated systemsSupport flight test, field ops, and rapid iteration using real flight dataTake systems from concept to production with speed and ownershipWhat we're looking for2+ years building real full-stack software in productionStrong backend experience (Python, Go, Rust, or similar)Strong frontend experience (React, TypeScript, or similar)Experience designing APIs, databases, and distributed systemsComfort working close to hardware, real-time systems, or operational dataAbility to move fast, own outcomes, and debug under pressureWhy IcarusMeaningful equityTop market salary and bonusesHealth, dental, and vision insuranceFactory in El SegundoReal ownership, real hardware, real flightSmall team, massive responsibilityHigh signal (engineering) to noise (management) cultureDream desk setupDaily lunchUnlimited celsiusThis is not a normal engineering jobWe are pioneers, not corporate managers. Icarus deliberately optimizes for a high signal (engineers) to noise (management) ratio, where engineering, flight, and execution matter more than process, politics, or management overheadYou will work side by side with the CEO and a small team of world-class builders. You will own your subsystem end to end. Design it. Build it. Break it. Fix it. Validate it in the desert. Fly it. Then do it again, fasterWe expect full extreme ownership. This is a high-trust, no-BS team, and everyone pulls their weightWe are hiring across the stack: mechanical, aerodynamics, RF, GNC, electrical, avionics, power electronics, energy storage, software, and systemsWe want builders. No hand-holding. No fluff. No fake projects. No slide decks. No sitting in meetings all day. Just raw engineering, real hardware, and real flightYou must thrive under pressure, learn fast, troubleshoot in the field, and push hardware to its limits. We move fast. We go to Mojave at 4 am in the morning. We expect results and an obsession with quality and speedYou will be a core executor of flight systems, taking them from concept to reality and driving rapid iteration loops. You will work across design, integration, testing, and flight. If you want real ownership, real hardware, and real flight milestones, this is it.No tourists. No bystanders. Only builders.
Hiring processTechnical interviewOne-on-one with CEOMeet the team in-personUS salary range$120,000 - $220,000 USD
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Icarus' total compensation package.
We're an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
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