Software Engineer - Cloud Infrastructure (mid-late career)

About Northwood Space:

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 are energized by building at a high-velocity company 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 Cloud Infrastructure Engineer to join our team in El Segundo. In this role, you will design, implement, and optimize cloud and hybrid infrastructure systems that power our global ground station network. Your focus will include automating infrastructure management, building scalable and reliable platforms, and ensuring seamless integration between cloud and on-premises environments. By collaborating with cross-functional teams and engaging with customers, you will help create innovative solutions that meet high availability, scalability, and performance demands.

Responsibilities:

• Design and build the infrastructure responsible for provisioning, sequencing, and configuring Northwood’s core systems across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.

• Architect and implement robust control and data planes, optimizing for low-latency, high-throughput operations.

• Develop, deploy, and maintain scalable infrastructure services to support spacecraft communication, telemetry, tracking, and control (TT&C) systems.

• Automate infrastructure provisioning, scaling, and configuration using tools like Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, or Kubernetes to improve efficiency and reduce manual operations.

• Implement and maintain monitoring, alerting, and observability solutions to ensure uptime, reliability, and operational insight for critical hardware and software systems.

• Collaborate with software, network, and FPGA engineers to design and optimize Northwood's hybrid infrastructure for scalability, performance, and resilience.

• Engage with customers to define and deliver secure, scalable interfaces for TT&C and data payload services, prioritizing simplicity and extensibility.

• Continuously evaluate and integrate new technologies, frameworks, and approaches to improve system reliability and operational workflows.

Basic Qualifications:

• 6+ years of professional experience in infrastructure engineering, software development, or related fields.

• 3+ years of experience designing and managing distributed systems or cloud-based infrastructures in production environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Rust, Golang, Python, or C/C++, with the ability to apply the right tools for different scenarios.

• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, including networking, compute, storage, and security services.

• Deep understanding of Infrastructure-as-Code tools like Terraform or AWS CloudFormation

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.