Customer Delivery Engineer

Loftorbital; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts

Flexible Time Off policy

401(k) plan and equity options

Daily catered lunches and snacks

Fully paid parental leave

Relocation assistance when applicable

Job summary

Loftorbital is seeking a Customer Delivery Engineer (CDE) to oversee satellite missions from deployment to execution. This role demands operational expertise, strong Python scripting skills, and exemplary communication abilities, merging engineering with customer interaction.

CDEs will manage the mission lifecycle, work directly with clients, and contribute to the development of mission applications on Loft’s operational infrastructure. Join us to make an impact in satellite operations.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in an operational engineering environment.
• Strong Python scripting skills and automation experience.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical interface for customer missions.
• Own the full mission lifecycle from requirements to mission execution.
• Develop mission tooling and automation in Python.

Skills

Operational engineering experience

Python scripting

Complex multi-layered systems diagnostics

Software systems and APIs

Communication skills

Tools

Docker

CUE

Job description

Wanna join the adventure?

Customer Delivery Engineers (CDEs) own the end-to-end deployment and execution of customer satellite missions at Loft. We serve as the primary technical interface to our customers and translate mission objectives into operational reality, from early requirements and ConOps development through commissioning, on-orbit operations, and continuous improvement.

CDEs operate real spacecraft and work directly with customers to build mission applications on top of Loft’s API and operational infrastructure. You will translate mission objectives into executable workflows, configurations, and tooling that ensure reliable, scalable on-orbit execution. You will sit at the intersection of satellite operations, customer engineering, software development, systems engineering, and program execution, delivering meaningful outcomes for every mission you support.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical interface for customer missions, aligning on objectives, managing expectations, and ensuring mission success
• Own the full mission lifecycle, from requirements definition and ConOps design through launch, commissioning, on-orbit execution, anomaly triage, and long-term optimization
• Operate Loft spacecraft and payloads on orbit, driving mission execution, anomaly resolution, and performance optimization across the fleet
• Work directly with customers to design and implement mission applications on Loft’s API and operational framework, enabling effective and scalable on-orbit operations
• Develop mission tooling and automation in Python to improve reliability, adoption, and operational scale
• Translate operational experience and customer feedback into concrete product improvements and roadmap input

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in an operational engineering environment, such as satellite operations, forward deployed engineering, production infrastructure, backend or platform engineering for live products, or other mission‑critical systems
• Experience owning or significantly contributing to production systems operating in real‑world, mission‑critical environments
• Experience diagnosing and resolving issues in complex, multi‑layered systems by tracing failures across interfaces and dependencies
• Strong Python scripting skills and comfort building automation for operational systems
• Experience working across software systems, APIs, and infrastructure such as Docker or similar DevOps environments
• Ability to operate effectively in dynamic, high‑pressure environments where requirements evolve and real‑time decisions matter
• Strong communication skills and experience working directly with customers or cross‑functional stakeholders
• Experience with satellite operations, spacecraft commissioning, or AIT
• Experience with spacecraft subsystems such as guidance and control, power systems, or communications systems
• Experience integrating external systems into larger operational architectures
• Experience with configuration languages such as CUE
• Experience operating within a full product lifecycle, translating real‑world usage and feedback into system or tooling improvements
• Experience working with international or cross‑cultural teams

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

Diversity & Inclusion

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.