Senior Ground Software Engineer at Umbra

Compensation

$155,000 – $185,000/yr

Setup: Hybrid
Location: Goleta, California · Arlington, Virginia
Type: Full-time
Level: Senior
Posted: Jun 25, 2026

Description

Umbra is seeking a Senior Ground Software Engineer to join their Remote Sensing software organization. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining critical systems that support autonomous satellite operations, contributing to software systems across mission planning, scheduling, command, control, and communications domains. This role involves taking ownership of key backend services, improving system resiliency, and accelerating delivery across multiple mission-critical product areas.

Required Skills

Python
RESTful APIs
Software Architecture
Event-driven Microservices
Interface Design
Automated Testing
CI/CD
PostgreSQL
Kubernetes/Docker
AWS
Application Security
Access Control
Authentication
Identity Management

Additional Information

Minimum Education: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
Required Previous Experiences: 5-8+ years of professional experience developing highly available backend services, preferably using Python.
3+ years of experience designing, developing, and testing commercial RESTful APIs.
Experience developing software for aerospace ground systems, satellite operations, mission operations, command and control systems, or similarly complex operational environments.
Demonstrated understanding of software architecture, event-driven microservices, interface design, and automated testing practices.
2+ years of professional experience developing automated build and test pipelines within a CI/CD environment.
Experience building database-backed applications and working with relational databases, preferably PostgreSQL.
Experience developing and deploying Kubernetes/Docker containerized services.
Experience with AWS or other cloud computing platforms.
Solid understanding of application security, access control, authentication, and identity management.
Preferred Qualifications: Experience building software to automate space operations.
Experience designing and implementing scheduling systems, optimization algorithms, or automated planning systems.
Strong understanding of infrastructure monitoring, observability, and operational best practices.
Experience designing and documenting APIs using Swagger/OpenAPI.
Track record of improving team effectiveness through mentorship, documentation, or knowledge sharing.