Backend Engineer - Mission Operations Services

Loft Orbital; Golden (CO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Loft Orbital is seeking a Backend Engineer for its Mission Operations Services team to design, build, and scale backend services connecting ground and flight software for satellite operations.

You will work across platforms, collaborating with backend, flight software, embedded systems, test, and satellite ops teams to deliver robust, observable services and APIs in a fast-moving space environment.

Qualifications

• 4+ years backend software engineering experience in production environments.
• Solid Python development experience in production.
• Experience with Docker and container-based development.
• Hands-on experience with backend web frameworks (Django, Flask, FastAPI, etc.).
• Proven API design skills (HTTP/GraphQL/REST).

Responsibilities

• 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 safety, robustness, and observability in focus.
• Write production backend code in Python, owning services end-to-end from design to deployment and maintenance.
• Collaborate with flight software, embedded software, integration and test, and space infra teams to integrate new satellite buses into Cockpit.
• Support internal Cockpit users by improving APIs, workflows, and debugging tools.
• Participate in SatDevOps rotations and assist in anomaly investigations and real-time incident response as needed.

Skills

Python

Docker

API design

Backend frameworks

4+ years

Tools

PostgreSQL

Kubernetes

GraphQL

Job description

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)

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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

State law requires us to share the posted base compensation range for this role. Final compensation will be determined based on your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The salary range is intentionally broad to account for differences in experience and scope, as well as geographic market variations in pay. We evaluate each candidate individually to ensure alignment between their background, the role’s responsibilities, and local market benchmarks. 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.