Chief Software

At Interstellar Lab, our mission is preserve life on Earth and help it expand to Space. Our vision is a world where technology enables humans to live in harmony with their environment, fostering thriving biodiversity on Earth and expanding life in Space. We design and build environment-controlled modules to create ideal conditions for plants to grow efficiently, enabling sustainable farming, biodiversity conservation, and optimized life-support systems for space exploration.

As Chief Software Engineer at Interstellar Lab, you will lead the software engineering strategy and execution for our biospheric systems, overseeing the development of robust, scalable, and innovative software that automatizes and optimizes our environment-controlled modules. With a strong emphasis on computer vision AI, you will drive the integration of advanced image processing and machine learning to enhance plant monitoring, growth analysis, and automation. You will manage a small, high-performing team of software engineers, collaborating closely with hardware, plant science, and product teams to ensure seamless integration of software solutions with grow systems, climate control, lighting, and irrigation.

Your hands-on expertise and strategic vision will deliver software that enhances plant health, resource efficiency, and system reliability while ensuring safety, scalability, and usability. You will champion first-principles thinking, mentor your team, and guide Interstellar Lab toward operational maturity in software development. Your leadership will be critical in enabling our mission to allow life to grow anywhere, on Earth and in space.

• Define and execute the software engineering strategy for Interstellar Lab’s biofarming platform, encompassing control systems, user interfaces, cloud infrastructure, data analytics, and computer vision AI.

• Oversee the design, development, and deployment of scalable software solutions using Python, C++, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Java, and Bash to control biofarm operations (e.g., climate, irrigation, lighting).

• Lead the implementation of computer vision AI using OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras for real-time plant health monitoring, growth analysis, and automation (e.g., CNNs, YOLO, U-Net).

• Drive real-time control systems using ROS (Robot Operating System) and RTOS for time-critical applications, integrating with IoT protocols (e.g., MQTT, CoAP) and vision-based data.

• Oversee the development of user-facing web applications using Node.js and React to enable operators to monitor and manage biofarm systems, including visualized AI insights.

• Manage cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines using AWS (e.g., EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS), Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, Ansible, Jenkins, and GitHub Actions to support scalable AI and control systems.

• Ensure software reliability, security, and compliance with safety and regulatory standards, incorporating VPC, IAM, encryption, and cybersecurity practices for IoT and AI systems.

• Manage and mentor a small, cross-functional team of software and DevOps engineers (3-10 members), fostering expertise in computer vision AI, embedded systems, and cloud infrastructure.

• Guide the team in leveraging Git for version control, SQL/NoSQL databases for data management, CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, or ELK Stack for monitoring, and CUDA or ONNX for AI optimization.

• Collaborate with Hardware, Plant Science, and Product teams to align software and AI solutions with system requirements and company objectives.

• Recruit and develop top software engineering talent to build a world-class team.

• Develop and manage project plans, timelines, and budgets for software, AI, and infrastructure initiatives, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality solutions.

• Identify risks, implement mitigation strategies, and maintain accountability for project outcomes.

• Provide hands-on troubleshooting and real-time problem-solving during development, integration, and operational phases, particularly for embedded systems (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi), Linux-based servers, and AI model deployment.

• Partner with executive leadership to shape the technical roadmap, prioritizing computer vision AI and software innovation projects.

• Guide the company toward operational maturity by establishing robust processes for software development, AI model training, deployment, and infrastructure management.

• Ensure software and AI systems are user-friendly, operable, and aligned with Interstellar Lab’s mission to support sustainable agriculture and space exploration.

• Education or experience equivalent to a B.S. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience, with strong expertise in computer vision AI (e.g., OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch) and proficiency in Python, C++, or JavaScript/TypeScript for control systems, IoT, or embedded software.

• Proven experience managing small, high-performing software or DevOps teams (3-10 members).

• Hands-on experience in designing, coding, and testing complex software systems, including AWS, Docker, or Kubernetes.

• US citizenship preferred.

• Hands-On and Dynamic: Thrives in a fast-paced, startup environment with a passion for coding, prototyping, and iterative development using Python, C++, Go, or Bash.

• First-Principles Thinking: Approaches challenges with pragmatism, unafraid to rethink software and AI architectures for better performance and efficiency.

• Leadership in Startups: Comfortable navigating prototypical products/processes while guiding teams toward operational excellence.

• Technical Expertise:

  • Strong expertise in computer vision AI, including OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, CNNs, YOLO, U-Net, CUDA, and ONNX for plant monitoring and automation.

  • Proficiency in Node.js, React, ROS, Terraform, Ansible, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions for software and infrastructure development.

  • Experience with IoT protocols (e.g., MQTT, CoAP), embedded systems (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi), and RTOS for real-time applications.

  • Knowledge of AWS services (e.g., EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS), Kubernetes, and SQL/NoSQL databases.

  • Familiarity with CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, or ELK Stack for monitoring.

  • Expertise in cybersecurity practices, VPC, IAM, and encryption for securing IoT, AI, and cloud systems.

• Complex Problem-Solving: Track record of solving intricate software, AI, and infrastructure challenges in agricultural or environmental control systems.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Exceptional ability to build partnerships with hardware engineers, plant scientists, and product teams.

• Mentorship: Passion for developing software, AI, and DevOps engineers, fostering a collaborative, innovative team culture.

• Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with safety standards and regulatory requirements in agriculture, life sciences, or space systems.

• Communication Skills: Strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills to align stakeholders and articulate technical strategies.

• Passion for Mission: Deep commitment to sustainability, biodiversity, and enabling life in space.

• Ability to adapt rapidly to changing roles and responsibilities in a high-paced, challenging environment.

• Willingness to travel as needed to support project execution and team collaboration.

• Passion for hands-on work when required to drive project completion.

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Interstellar Lab. You may also be eligible for:

• Long-Term Incentives: Company stock, stock options, or hangen-term cash awards.

• Comprehensive Benefits:

  • Medical, vision, and dental coverage.

  • 401(k) retirement plan.

  • Short- and long-term disability insurance.

  • Life insurance.

  • Paid parental leave.

  • Various discounts and perks.

Interstellar Lab is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, regional color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

As Chief Software Engineer, you will play a transformative role in shaping the future of sustainable agriculture and life in space through innovative software and computer vision AI solutions. If you are a hands-on leader with a passion for technology and a drive to enable life to grow anywhere, we invite you to join Interstellar Lab in this extraordinary mission.