Backend Engineer, Data Platform and Traceability

ASTRO; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 156,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

6-month contract

Payroll conversion after contract

Job summary

ASTRO is building a data platform in Los Angeles to underpin engineering decisions. You will design the core data model linking materials, processes, parts, tests and results, ensuring complete history and auditability.

You will implement audit trails, versioning, and data integrity controls, develop APIs and services for engineers and dashboards, and generate reports to support reviews and sign-off. Collaboration with the integration engineer is essential to ensure clean data ingestion.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of backend or data engineering experience.
• Strong Python or Go, SQL and PostgreSQL.
• Experience designing data models where correctness and history matter.
• Experience building APIs and data pipelines in production.
• Care for detail: you notice when a record does not add up.

Responsibilities

• Design and build the core data model linking materials, processes, parts, tests and results.
• Implement audit trails, versioning, electronic sign-off records and data integrity controls.
• Build the APIs and services that engineers, dashboards and models use.
• Build the reports that support engineering review and sign-off.
• Work with the integration engineer to make sure incoming equipment data lands cleanly.

Skills

Backend engineering

Data engineering

Python

Go

SQL

PostgreSQL

Data modeling

APIs

Data pipelines

Detail oriented

Tools

Python

Go

SQL

PostgreSQL

Job description

ASTRO is a bootstrapped engineering, testing and advanced manufacturing company in Los Angeles. We have grown without outside funding. We started by providing engineering and testing services, expanded into additive manufacturing parts, and are now building connected lab systems for our customers.

Our first reference lab is being built in our Los Angeles facility, and this team will build its software. It will be followed by a mirror lab and two smaller satellite labs that communicate with the mirror. All of this needs to be executed by Q2 2027, after which we will expand to additional labs and sites.

The role

You will build the data record behind every engineering decision. Each material, process setting, test and result needs to link together, keep its history and hold up to audit.

What you will do

• Design and build the core data model linking materials, processes, parts, tests, requirements and results
• Implement audit trails, versioning, electronic sign-off records and data integrity controls
• Build the APIs and services that engineers, dashboards and models use
• Build the reports that support engineering review and sign-off
• Work with the integration engineer to make sure incoming equipment data lands cleanly

What you bring

• 3 to 6 years of backend or data engineering experience
• Strong Python or Go, SQL and PostgreSQL (or a similar relational database)
• Experience designing data models where correctness and history matter
• Experience building APIs and data pipelines in production
• Care for detail: you notice when a record does not add up

Helpful to have

• Experience with quality, compliance or other audited records
• Familiarity with PLM, MES or LIMS concepts
• Exposure to time-series or large binary data (images, scans)

Employment Terms

• 6-month contract, converting to payroll based on successful execution