Backend Engineer - Oort

Frontdoor Defense; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company-paid health plan

Flexible time off

401(k) and equity options

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Loft Orbital is seeking a Backend Engineer to join its Oort team in San Francisco. You will own backend features from design through production, building APIs and integrations that surface critical infrastructure data for the full mission lifecycle.

You will collaborate with program management, satellite engineering, operations, and business stakeholders to translate complex processes into reliable software, applying a product mindset and strong communication across teams.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in Python for backend engineering.
• Experience with Docker for deployment in scalable environments.
• Backend architecture and API design experience.
• Experience building or integrating space-mission technologies.
• Strong teamwork, clear communication, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Fluency in English.

Responsibilities

• Build and operate features across backend services that collect, manage, surface infrastructure data for the full Loft mission lifecycle.
• Design and implement APIs and integrations that connect tooling and data across teams and systems.
• Partner with program management, satellite engineering, operations, and business stakeholders to analyze and understand mission design, program, and business processes—and translate them into intuitive, reliable software.
• Apply a product mindset across the stack: seek user feedback, identify friction in backend workflows and UI/UX, and deliver solutions that reduce complexity for the teams.

Skills

Python

Docker

API design

Backend architecture

Space missions

Team collaboration

English

Tools

Django

GraphQL

GCP

AWS

Kubernetes

PyTest

Playwright

Cypress

Job description

Backend Engineer - Oort

Own backend features from design through production for Loft's Oort mission platform

Location: San Francisco, California

Compensation: $140,000 - 190,000 USD / year

About The Role

Backend Engineer Opportunity at Loft Orbital

Loft Orbital is looking for a Backend Engineer to join our Oort team. Oort is our central web platform—a unified environment that consolidates all infrastructure data and tools, empowering Loft to streamline, integrate, and manage the entire mission lifecycle with unprecedented efficiency and transparency. Oort bridges the gap between diverse mission phases, operational teams, and business processes by centralizing essential information and workflows, establishing a standard for space mission execution at scale.

About this role:

• Build, and operate features across backend services that collect, manage, and surface critical infrastructure data for the full Loft mission lifecycle.
• Design and implement APIs and integrations that connect tooling and data across teams and systems.
• Partner with program management, satellite engineering, operations, and business stakeholders to analyze and understand mission design, program, and business processes—and translate them into intuitive, reliable software.
• Apply a product mindset across the stack: seek user feedback, identify friction in both backend workflows and UI/UX, and deliver solutions that meaningfully reduce complexity for the people and teams building and operating space infrastructure.

Must Haves:

• Demonstrated proficiency in Python for backend engineering.
• Practical experience using Docker for containerization and deployment in scalable environments.
• Experience in backend architecture, encompassing API design and robust database interactions.
• You have hands-on experience building, operating, or integrating technologies for space missions and a passion for making complex, multi-team technical endeavors more efficient and standardized.
• You thrive on dissecting intricate business and technical processes, mapping them end-to-end—highlighting friction points and opportunities for unique solutions.
• You excel in team environments, communicate complex ideas with clarity, and advocate for seamless collaboration between engineering, operations, and business functions.
• You are a proactive problem solver and a respectful challenger of assumptions, comfortable owning features from design through production operations.
• Fluency in English.

Nice to Haves:

• Experience in the design, modeling, or analysis of space missions, with an understanding of mission lifecycle complexities.
• Proficiency with Django and GraphQL, and familiarity with modern cloud infrastructure platforms (e.g., GCP/AWS, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with testing tools across the stack (e.g., PyTest, Jest, React Testing Library, Playwright/Cypress) and strong CI/CD practices.

Some of Our Awesome Benefits:

• 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 in office
• International exposure to our team in France
• Fully paid parental leave; 14 weeks for birthing parent and 10 weeks for non-birthing parent
• 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

$140,000 - $190,000 a year State law requires us to tell you the base compensation range for this role, which is $140,000- $190,000 per year. This is 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.

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.