Ground Software Engineer

Loft Federal; Arvada (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

FSA/HSA with employer contribution

Life/AD&D, Short-Term & Long-Term Dis.

Paid time off and holidays

401(k) and equity options

Lunch provided in office

Parental leave

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Loft Federal is building mission-ready ground software for space programs in Colorado. You will own and maintain ground procedures and automation, while designing features in Cockpit to support both physical and virtual missions.

You’ll work with Solutions and Product teams to ensure smooth integration and continual improvement of products. Ideal candidates bring 2+ years in software engineering or satellite operations, strong Python skills, Docker, and Git experience.

Qualifications

• US Citizen. TS clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Minimum of 2 years of software engineering, systems integration, or satellite-operations automation with meaningful software ownership.
• Strong Python experience for automation, tooling, services, or operational workflows.
• Experience with Git in collaborative engineering, including branching, code review, and maintenance over time.
• Ability to troubleshoot software and integration issues by isolating root causes and driving resolution.
• Experience with Docker and containerized development or deployment workflows.
• Experience working across multiple technical components or teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain Ground Procedures, Configurations and Automation software tailored to specific programs and missions.
• Design and implement non-recurring features within Cockpit to support both Physical and Virtual Missions customers.
• Work closely with Solutions teams and Software Product teams to ensure smooth integration and product improvement.
• Help troubleshoot software integration issues during development, testing, commissioning and operations.
• Participate in Satellite Operations and support Spacecraft Commissioning; everyone is involved.

Skills

Python programming

Git usage

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional collaboration

Satellite operations

Containerization

Linux

Django/GraphQL/Kubernetes familiarity

Tools

Docker

Git

GitLab CI/CD

Kubernetes

Linux

Django

GraphQL

Job description

About Loft Federal

Loft Federal is committed to delivering the U.S. national security space community a fast, affordable, and streamlined pathway to orbit. As a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Loft Orbital Solutions, Inc., we specialize in providing mission-ready space infrastructure with unmatched efficiency.

At Loft, we empower our team with autonomy, ownership, and bold problem‑solving opportunities while fostering a tight‑knit, supportive environment. We believe that diversity, inclusivity, and community are the foundation of an open and innovative culture. We value kind, collaborative, and mission‑driven teammates who excel in problem‑solving and communication—because great solutions come from great teams.

Loft Federal is revolutionizing access to space by building reliable, shareable satellites that drastically reduce the time and complexity traditionally required to get to orbit. We operate satellites, fly customer payloads, and handle entire missions from end‑to‑end. We’re a close‑knit team of space enthusiasts, software experts, and cutting‑edge technologists, all working together to make space simple for our customers.

As a Ground Software Engineer you’ll develop and maintain custom ground software capabilities for our customers. We configure and extend Loft Federals mission software for specific program needs, deliver custom features to support mission deployment and execution, and help ensure smooth operations by connecting product capabilities with mission‑specific needs. We also drive product improvement by providing operational feedback and collaborating closely with Product teams.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on cutting edge technology, helping build modern automated infrastructure, bringing software and space together.

About the Role

• Own and maintain Ground Procedures, Configurations and Automation software tailored to specific programs and missions
• Design and implement non‑recurring features within Cockpit to support both Physical and Virtual Missions customers
• Work closely with other Solutions teams and Software Product teams to ensure smooth integration and improve products.
• Help troubleshoot software integration issues found during development as well as during end to end testing, commissioning and operations.
• Participate actively in Satellite Operations and support Spacecraft Commissioning - Everyone is involved!

Must Haves

• US Citizen. TS clearance with SCI eligibility.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in software engineering, systems integration, or satellite-operations automation with meaningful software development ownership.
• Strong Python experience, including building maintainable automation, tooling, services, or operational workflows—not just one-off scripts.
• Experience using Git in a collaborative engineering environment, including branching, code review, and maintaining changes over time.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot software and integration issues by isolating root causes, evaluating trade‑offs, and driving problems to resolution.
• Experience with Docker and containerized development or deployment workflows.
• Experience working across multiple technical components or teams.

Nice to Have

• Experience developing software for satellite ground systems, mission operations, spacecraft operations, telemetry, commanding, mission planning, or other operationally critical systems.
• Experience with software integration across services, tools, configurations, APIs, or hardware/software interfaces.
• Familiarity with satellite scheduling, flight dynamics, orbital mechanics, or spacecraft operations.
• Experience with GitLab CI/CD, automated testing, regression testing, or integration‑test tooling.
• Familiarity with backend services and operational technologies such as Django, GraphQL, Kubernetes, C++, Cue, or Linux.

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
• 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

Salary Range: $120,000 USD - $185,000 USD

Equal Employment Opportunity & Afferenti…

Loft Federal is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Afferenti…

Accessibility & Accommodations

If you require a reasonable accommodation due to a disability when applying for an open position, please contact us at [e-mail] for assistance.

We Hire for Talent, Not Just Resumes

Research shows that while men apply for jobs when they meet about 60% of the qualifications, women and other underrepresented groups tend to apply only when they meet 100% of the listed criteria. At Loft Federal, we value diverse perspectives, respectful debate, and people who challenge assumptions. If you’re excited about a role but don’t meet every requirement, we strongly encourage you to apply.