Backend Engineer - Mission Operations Services
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Summary
Builds and maintains Python backend microservices that power Cockpit, Loft Orbital's mission control system, handling commands and telemetry between ground and flight software for a satellite fleet. Day to day is production Python, Docker, API design, and close collaboration with flight software and satellite operations teams.
Loft Orbital is looking for a Backend Engineer to join our Mission Operations Services (MOS) team. MOS owns the backend services that let Loft operators and customers command, monitor, and automate our satellite fleet through Cockpit, our mission control system. You’ll help build and scale the microservices that sit between ground and flight software, turning high-level intent into safe, reliable on-orbit operations.
You’ll work across multiple satellite platforms and collaborate closely with backend, flight software, embedded systems, test, and satellite operations teams. This is a hands-on engineering role where you’ll both build new systems and help debug live missions. We also offer SatDevOps training, so you don’t just write the tools - you actually use them to operate spacecraft.
If you’re excited about building backend systems that directly control satellites - and you like the idea of both shipping code and helping fly missions - we’d love to hear from you.
About this Role
- Design and build backend tools for operations: services that power passes, autopilots, activities, and day‑to‑day satellite operations.
- Handle commands and telemetry across multiple satellite buses and ground segment providers, with a strong focus on safety, robustness, and observability.
- Write production backend code in Python, owning services end‑to‑end from design and implementation through deployment and maintenance.
- Collaborate with flight software, embedded software, integration and test, and space infrastructure teams to integrate new satellite buses and capabilities into Cockpit.
- Support internal users of Cockpit (operators, test engineers, solutions engineers) by improving APIs, workflows, and debugging tools.
- Have the opportunity to take part in spacecraft operations through SatDevOps rotations, occasionally helping investigate anomalies and supporting real‑time incident response when needed.
Must Haves:
- 4+ years of relevant backend software engineering experience in production environments
- Solid Python development experience in a production environment.
- Experience with Docker and container‑based development.
- Hands‑on experience with backend web development frameworks (e.g., Django, Flask, FastAPI, etc.).
- Proven API design skills (designing, documenting, and maintaining HTTP/GraphQL/REST‑style APIs).
Nice to Haves:
- Experience with Django and/or GraphQL.
- Strong database fundamentals and practical experience (e.g., Postgres, time‑series DBs).
- Exposure to Kubernetes in production.
- Familiarity with InfluxDB / TimescaleDB or other time‑series systems.
- Background in mission‑critical, distributed, or real‑time systems (space or otherwise).
Some of Our Awesome Benefits:
- Equity, we want you to have an active role in our success
- Up to 35 days of Paid Time Off (vacations & RTT ) and flexible working hours, we want you to be at your best
- Health and life insurance, we care about your health
- Lunch Vouchers, because let’s be honest, we love food! (we even have a slack channel about it #loft-gourmand)
- Cross-office travel opportunities between San Francisco, Colorado, and Toulouse to learn from our differences
- Company and team off-sites and many other events to work & celebrate together
- Relocation assistance to Toulouse when applicable
Who We Are: Founded in 2017, Loft provides governments, companies, and research institutions with a fast, reliable, and simple way to deploy missions in orbit.
We integrate, launch, and operate spacecraft, offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation, IoT connectivity, on-orbit AI, national security missions, and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses, Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 30 missions flown, Loft’s flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives.
With a growing fleet on track to reach 30 satellites by 2027, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France to meet accelerating demand for space infrastructure.
*Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented 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.
Who We Are
Loft: Space Made Simple.
Founded in 2017, Loft provides governments, companies, and research institutions with a fast, reliable, and simple way to deploy missions in orbit.
We integrate, launch, and operate spacecraft, offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation, IoT connectivity, on-orbit AI, national security missions, and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses, Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 30 missions flown, Loft’s flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives.
With a growing fleet on track to reach 30 satellites by 2027, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France to meet accelerating demand for space infrastructure.
As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English.
Skills
As published by lever · 8 questions · 3 written answers
Basics
Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL, Other website
Short answers (1)
- What is your notice period and when would you be available to start?
Pick from a list (4)
- This role requires at least 3 days a week in the office, are you able to easily commute to the location the role is based in? optional
- If not, would you be open to relocating? Please note, we do provide relocation assistance optional
- This role is based in our Toulouse office, do you have an existing right to work in France? Or do you require visa sponsorship? optional
- A resume in English is required for your profile to be reviewed by our international team. Have you included a resume in English? optional
Written answers (3)
- Describe the backend system you’re most proud of owning. What did it do, why did it matter to its users or operations, and what key technical or design decisions did you personally push for?
- How did you hear about us? (LinkedIn, job board, recruiter outreach, employee referral, etc.) optional
- Any other information you would like us to know? optional