Software Engineer - Backend (mid-late career)

About Northwood:

Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.

Job Level:

The level of this position will be determined based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. We are open to considering candidates of varying experience levels, from mid-career to principal developers.

Role:

Northwood Space is seeking a Backend Engineer to join our team in El Segundo. In this role, you will focus on designing, implementing, and optimizing APIs, databases, and cloud orchestration for our global ground station network. You will work closely with cross-functional teams and customers to build robust, scalable backend systems that enable efficient communication, data processing, and cloud-based operations. Your expertise in backend systems and cloud platforms will be key to ensuring reliability, performance, and ease of use across our infrastructure.

Responsibilities:

• Own the design, development, and optimization of backend systems responsible for provisioning, configuring, and managing Northwood’s core infrastructure and network.

• Develop and maintain APIs that serve as the backbone for secure and scalable interfaces for Telemetry, Tracking, and Control (TT&C) and payload data transfer.

• Architect and implement database solutions capable of handling high-throughput, low-latency data flows, ensuring data integrity and availability.

• Build and maintain cloud orchestration workflows to support hybrid deployments across on-premises and cloud environments.

• Collaborate with customers to design simple, extensible interfaces for spacecraft communication and data processing pipelines.

• Support the implementation of monitoring tools to ensure the uptime and health of Northwood's backend services and infrastructure.

• Assist in the design of infrastructure to support large-scale TT&C operations and payload downlink at scale.

Basic Qualifications:

• 6+ years of professional software development experience, with a focus on backend systems.

• 3+ years of experience architecting and scaling production-grade distributed systems or large-scale software services in the cloud.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Rust, Golang, Haskell, C/C++, or similar languages optimized for high-performance and distributed computing.

• Strong understanding of API design, database management, and backend architecture.

• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, including deploying and managing distributed systems in hybrid environments.

• Experience in network programming and familiarity with IP protocols.

• Knowledge of data pipelines and processing systems capable of handling high-throughput scenarios.

• A passion for building reliable, scalable, and easy-to-use backend services.

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, and technical capabilities. In addition to base salary, Northwood offers long term incentives such as company stock, stock options, and cash awards, as well as discretionary bonus for performance. Northwood benefits include equity, health care, unlimited vacation, retirement savings and professional development.

Additional Information:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Northwood is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.