Backend Engineer - Oort

Golden, CO or San Francisco Software – Oort /Full time /On-site Wanna join the adventure?

Loft Orbital is looking for a Backend Engineer to join our Oort team. Oort is our central web platform—a unified environment that consolidates all infrastructure data and tools, empowering Loft to streamline, integrate, and manage the entire mission lifecycle with unprecedented efficiency and transparency. Oort bridges the gap between diverse mission phases, operational teams, and business processes by centralizing essential information and workflows, establishing a standard for space mission execution ut this role:

Build, and operate features across backend services that collect, manage, and surface critical infrastructure data for the full Loft mission lifecycle.

Design and implement APIs and integrations that connect tooling and data across teams and systems.

Partner with program management, satellite engineering, operations, and business stakeholders to analyze and understand mission design, program, and business processes—and translate them into intuitive, reliable software.

Apply a product mindset across the stack: seek user feedback, identify friction in both backend workflows and UI/UX, and deliver solutions that meaningfully reduce complexity for the people and teams building and operating space infrastructure.

Must Haves:

Demonstrated proficiency in Python for backend engineering.

Practical experience using Docker for containerization and deployment in scalable environments.

Experience in backend architecture, encompassing API design and robust database interactions.

You have hands‑on experience building, operating, or integrating technologies for space missions and a passion for making complex, multi‑team technical endeavors more efficient and standardized.

You thrive on dissecting intricate business and technical processes, mapping them end‑to‑end—highlighting friction points and opportunities for unique solutions.

You excel in team environments, communicate complex ideas with clarity, and advocate for seamless collaboration between engineering, operations, and business functions.

You are a proactive problem solver and a respectful challenger of assumptions, comfortable owning features from design through production operations.

Fluency in English.

Nice to Haves:

Experience in the design, modeling, or analysis of space missions, with an understanding of mission lifecycle complexities.

Proficiency with Django and GraphQL, and familiarity with modern cloud infrastructure platforms (e.g., GCP/AWS, Kubernetes).Familiarity with testing tools across the stack (e.g., PyTest, Jest, React Testing Library, Playwright/Cypress) and strong CI/CD practices.

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

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 $140,000 - $190,000 a year State law requires us to tell you the base compensation range for this role, which is $140,000- $190,000 per year. This is determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.  The salary range for this role is intentionally wide…