Backend / Data Platform Engineer

Foundational; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EMI share options (UK employees)

25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays

Enhanced Parental Leave

Cycle to work

Office in central London

Job summary

Foundational, based in London, seeks a Backend / Data Platform Engineer to build the ingestion and processing layer for tracking data. The role involves developing pipelines from stations and third-party sources, designing time-series data models, and delivering customer APIs.

You will work with front-end, geodesy and orbit engineers to ensure reliable, secure, and observable data delivery, with an emphasis on testing and documentation. On-site at our London offices with a venture-backed team.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience building backend systems in production.
• Strong Python, Go, or Rust and SQL skills.
• Experience with data pipelines, message queues and time-series storage.
• Cloud infrastructure and containers (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Care for testing, security and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Build ingest pipelines from our stations and third‑party data sources.
• Design data models and storage for high-volume, time‑series scientific data.
• Build and maintain customer APIs and data delivery in standard formats.
• Make pipelines reliable, observable and secure, including for customers with strict data‑handling requirements.
• Work closely with front‑end, geodesy and orbit determination engineers.

Skills

Backend systems

Python

Go

Rust

SQL

Data pipelines

Message queues

Time-series storage

Cloud infrastructure

Docker

Kubernetes

Testing

Security

Documentation

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Backend / Data Platform Engineer

This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.

About us

Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.

We design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight‑proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.

Our station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.

We're a small, fast‑moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.

Position Overview

London · Full time · On‑site

You’ll build the platform that ingests, processes and serves our tracking data, all the way from station to customer API.

What you’ll do

• Build ingest pipelines from our stations and from third‑party data sources

• Design data models and storage for high-volume, time‑series scientific data

• Build and maintain customer APIs and data delivery in standard formats

• Make pipelines reliable, observable and secure, including for customers with strict data‑handling requirements

• Work closely with front‑end, geodesy and orbit determination engineers

What you’ll bring

• Extensive experience building backend systems in production

• Strong Python (or Go or Rust) and SQL

• Experience with data pipelines, message queues and time‑series storage

• Cloud infrastructure and containers (Docker, Kubernetes)

• Care for testing, security and documentation

Nice to have

• Scientific or geospatial data

• Space data standards (CCSDS, CRD)

• Streaming platforms such as Kafka

• A background in space situational awareness

What We Offer

• A high-impact role with real ownership at an early‑stage, venture‑backed spacetech company

• EMI share options (UK employees)

• 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays

• Enhanced Parental Leave

• Cycle to work schemes

• Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics

• Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular social

We actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.