Sr​/Senior Python Software Engineer

Sci Tec, a wholly owned subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace, is a dynamic non‑traditional defense contractor that delivers advanced technologies in support of U.S. National Security and Defense. For the past forty‑five plus years, we have supported Department of Defense customers by developing innovative remote sensing algorithms, tools, and techniques to deliver world‑class data exploitation capabilities supporting missile defense; intelligence, surveillance, & reconnaissance;

space domain awareness; and aircraft survivability missions.

Sci Tec exclusively works on U.S. government contracts that require U.S. citizenship for all employees. Sci Tec cannot sponsor or assume sponsorship of employee work visas of any type. Further, U.S. citizenship is a requirement to obtain and keep a security clearance. Applicants that do not meet these requirement will not be considered.

We are seeking a Senior or Senior Staff Python Software Engineer to design, develop, and sustain high‑quality software systems supporting advanced analysis and data processing workflows. This role focuses on distributed systems, microservices, and real‑time data pipelines, working closely with scientific and technical users in a mission‑focused environment.

The ideal candidate is a strong individual contributor with deep Python expertise, sound software engineering judgment, and the ability to collaborate across disciplines while influencing technical direction through example and mentorship.

• Design, implement, and maintain high‑quality Python software aligned with program and project objectives
• Work independently and collaboratively with the development team to deliver complex features end to end
• Collaborate directly with advanced technical and scientific users to translate analysis needs into robust software solutions
• Contribute to containerized, distributed microservice architectures, including development, deployment, and testing
• Design, implement, and maintain real‑time or near‑real‑time data processing and streaming workflows
• Ensure reliability, scalability, and performance of messaging systems and data pipelines
• Identify technical risks and propose risk‑reduction strategies to support program success
• Participate in and guide Agile development activities, including code reviews, design discussions, and sprint planning
• Promote strong engineering practices, including testing, documentation, and maintainability
• Mentor junior and mid‑level engineers through technical collaboration and code review
• Champion comprehensive testing strategies, including unit, integration, and system testing
• Contribute to documentation, knowledge sharing, and clear technical communication
• Perform other duties as assigned

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, or a related technical field
• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Strong proficiency in Python, including modern language features and best practices
• Hands‑on experience with microservice architectures and distributed systems
• Experience writing and maintaining automated tests using pytest or similar frameworks
  
  Professional experience working in Linux environments
• Experience using version control systems such as Git
• Solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals, including design patterns, modularity, and maintainability
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across technical disciplines
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high‑quality, well‑tested code
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work in person at the Boulder, CO office
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance

Candidates who have any of the following skills will be preferred:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or Physical Sciences
• Experience working with remotely sensed data or scientific data processing workflows
• Familiarity with messaging and communication technologies, such as:
  Protocol Buffers, ZeroMQ, Kafka, gRPC, REST APIs
• Professional experience with Dev Ops and CI/CD tooling, including:
  Docker, Jenkins, Git Lab CI/CD
• Experience working in Agile software…