Senior Forward-Deployed Engineer

Satlyt, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Satlyt, Inc. seeks an engineer to deploy its secure AI operating layer for satellites, from discovery to production deployment, by integrating with flight software, APIs, telemetry, and ground infrastructure.

You will build, integrate, debug, and ship while collaborating with satellite operators, aerospace and defense customers, and infrastructure partners. Strong Linux and multi-language coding skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in software engineering, infrastructure, distributed systems, networking, robotics, aerospace, defense technology, or similar complex environments.
• Strong Linux fundamentals with hands-on software deployment experience.
• Proficiency in Python, Go, Rust, and C++.
• Experience with Docker, containers, and Kubernetes or similar orchestration.

Responsibilities

• Own technical integrations with customers from discovery through production deployment.
• Understand customer spacecraft, compute, networking, telemetry, security, and mission architectures.
• Design deployment architectures for Satlyt on customer hardware.
• Deploy and troubleshoot containerized workloads in constrained environments.
• Build prototypes and proofs of concept that move toward production.
• Diagnose hardware, software, networking, and systems integration issues.
• Translate recurring customer requirements into reusable Satlyt capabilities.
• Support technical discovery, demonstrations, proposals, and architecture discussions.

Skills

Linux fundamentals

Python

Go

Rust

C++

Distributed systems

Networking

Customer-facing communication

Independent work

Ownership mindset

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

You will be responsible for getting Satlyt deployed into customer environments, from initial technical discovery through integration, testing, and production operation.

This is not a traditional pre-sales role. You will build, integrate, debug, and ship while working directly with satellite operators, aerospace companies, defense customers, payload providers, and infrastructure partners.

Satlyt is building the secure AI operating layer for satellites. Our platform enables spacecraft to operate as programmable compute nodes, allowing satellite operators to deploy software workloads, run AI at the edge, orchestrate distributed compute, manage networking, and process data before it reaches the ground.

• Own technical integrations with customers from discovery through production deployment

• Understand customer spacecraft, compute, networking, telemetry, security, and mission architectures

• Design deployment architectures for running Satlyt on customer hardware

• Deploy and troubleshoot containerized workloads in constrained and intermittently connected environments

• Integrate Satlyt with

  • Flight software

  • Customer APIs

  • Telemetry systems

  • Ground infrastructure

  • Networking stacks

• Build prototypes and proofs of concept that can move into production

• Diagnose hardware, software, networking, and systems integration issues

• Translate recurring customer requirements into reusable Satlyt product capabilities

• Support technical discovery, demonstrations, proposals, and architecture discussions

• Build tools and documentation that make each future integration faster

• Support mission testing and on-orbit deployments

• Work closely with the CTO and core engineering team

• 4+ years of experience in software engineering, infrastructure, distributed systems, networking, robotics, aerospace, defense technology, or a similarly complex technical environment

• Strong Linux fundamentals

• Strong programming ability in

  • Python

  • Go

  • Rust

  • C++

  • Similar systems languages

• Experience with Docker, containers, Kubernetes, or similar orchestration technologies

• Strong networking fundamentals

• Experience debugging real production systems

• Ability to understand unfamiliar technical architectures quickly

• Strong customer-facing communication skills

• Ability to operate independently with ambiguous requirements

• Strong ownership and execution mindset

• Satellite flight software

• Satellite mission operations

• Embedded Linux or ARM

• Edge computing

• DTN or HDTN

• BPv7, CFDP, or ION

• AI inference on constrained hardware

• Kubernetes at the edge

• Telecom infrastructure

• Cybersecurity

• Robotics or autonomous systems

• Defense or government systems