Backend Engineer

Wanna join the adventure?

Loft Orbital are looking for a Backend Engineer to join our international Ground Software team. We currently have satellites in orbit, with multiple client payloads on each, and more launches happening in the near future. This role will focus on keeping our satellites safe, which is pretty important - so this is a key hire for us!

On a day to day basis you'll be in charge of analysing the performance of our satellites and constellations in orbit, designing manoeuvres and carrying out simulations using both first-party and third-party toolkits. You'll develop new, cutting-edge libraries, modeling satellite and attitude manoeuvres. You will also get to execute all of these concepts on-orbit, thereby iterating quickly and improving operations for all our satellites.

*Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalized people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t ‘check all the boxes.

About This Role:

• Design the flight dynamics tools for our mission control and planning system
• Writing scalable code - developing our flight dynamics services
• Develop flight dynamics features in both open-source and proprietary libraries
• Provide support with using cockpit internally
• Propagate and Determine Orbits
• Plan Orbital Maneuvers
• Maintain and Manage our Satellites and Constellation from an orbital perspective
• Participate in Spacecraft Ops - everybody is involved

Must Haves:

• Python
• C++
• Orbit Propagation and Orbit Determination
• State Estimation/Filtering Techniques
• Orbital Maneuvering Techniques
• Some Web development backend frameworks experience
• API design

Nice to Haves:

• Django
• GraphQL
• Database interactions
• Kubernetes
• Influx/Timescale DB
• Attitude Dynamics
• Spacecraft Constellation Management
• Conjunction Assessment

Some of Our Awesome Benefits (US):

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance option for employees and dependents
• Flexible Spending (FSA) and Health Savings (HSA) Accounts offered with an employer contribution to the HSA
• 100% employer paid Life, AD&D, Short-Term, and Long-Term Disability insurance
• Flexible Time Off policy for vacation and sick leave, and 12 paid holidays
• 401(k) plan and equity options
• Daily catered lunches and snacks
• International exposure to our team in France
• Fully paid parental leave; 14 weeks for primary caregiver and 10 weeks for secondary caregiver
• Carrot Fertility provides comprehensive, inclusive fertility healthcare and family-forming benefits with financial support
• Off-sites and many social events and celebrations
• Relocation assistance when applicable

$119,000 - $175,000 a year

State law requires us to tell you the base compensation range for this role, which is $119,000-$175,000 per year, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The salary range for this role is intentionally wide as we evaluate individuals based on their unique experience and abilities to fit our needs. Most importantly, we are excited to meet you, and see if you are a great fit for our team. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.

Who We Are

Loft Orbital builds “shareable” satellites, providing a fast & simple path to orbit for organizations that require access to space. Powered by our hardware & software products, we operate satellites, fly customer payloads onboard, and handle entire missions from end to end - significantly reducing the lead-time and risk of a traditional space mission.

Our standard interface enables us to fly multiple customer payloads on the same satellite, with capabilities such as earth imagery, weather & climate /science data collection, IoT connectivity, in-orbit demonstrations, and national security missions. Our customers trust us to manage their space infrastructure, so they can focus on what matters most to them: operating their mission and collecting their data.

At Loft, you’ll be given the autonomy and ownership to solve significant challenges, but with a close-knit and supportive team at your back. We believe that diversity and community are the foundation of an open culture. We are committed to hiring the best people regardless of background and make their time at Loft the most fulfilling period of their career.

We value kind, supportive and team-oriented collaborators. It is also crucial for us that you are a problem solver and a great communicator. As our team is international, you will need strong English skills to better collaborate, easily communicate complex ideas and convey important messages.

With 4 satellites on-orbit and a wave of exciting missions launching soon, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France.

As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English.