The growing number of satellites and other objects in Earth’s orbit has created new challenges for governments, defence organisations and commercial space operators. Monitoring these objects, maintaining accurate orbital information and responding to potential threats require sophisticated software systems capable of processing large volumes of data reliably and in real time.
This is where software engineering plays an increasingly important role in the space industry. Behind modern radar networks and satellite monitoring platforms are complex applications, cloud infrastructure, data pipelines and automated systems that help organisations understand what is happening in orbit.
LeoLabs, a space technology company developing advanced radar and orbital intelligence solutions, is looking for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to strengthen its Cloud Software team. The successful candidate will contribute to software systems that support radar operations, satellite tracking, data analytics and mission-critical activities for commercial and government customers.
This is an opportunity for an experienced engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems, building scalable cloud applications and working with technologies that support aerospace and national security missions.
The position is particularly suited to professionals with strong backend engineering experience, knowledge of distributed systems and practical experience delivering software for government or defence-related customers. Applicants should pay close attention to the security-clearance requirements before applying.
Job Details
Job Title: Senior Software Engineer
Company: LeoLabs, Inc.
Job Location: Denver, Colorado, or Menlo Park, California
Work Arrangement: Remote work with periodic onsite travel
Employment Type: Full-time
Experience Required: 5+ years of professional software engineering experience
Salary: Up to $194,700 per year, plus bonus, stock options and benefits
Security Clearance: Active U.S. TS/SCI clearance required
Application Deadline: Not specified
Application Portal: Greenhouse
About LeoLabs
LeoLabs is a technology company specialising in space surveillance, orbital intelligence and satellite operations. It operates a global network of ground-based radar systems supported by an AI-enabled analytics platform.
The company’s technology collects and analyses large volumes of measurements from objects travelling through low Earth orbit. This information helps customers monitor satellite activity, maintain awareness of orbital movements, identify potential threats and make informed operational decisions.
Its solutions serve commercial space operators and government organisations working in areas such as Space Domain Awareness, Space Traffic Management and national security.
LeoLabs combines radar engineering, software development, data science and cloud infrastructure to address some of the technical challenges associated with an increasingly crowded space environment.
More information is available on the company’s official website: https://leolabs.space/
About the Senior Software Engineer Position
The Senior Software Engineer will join LeoLabs’ Cloud Software team, which develops and maintains the software infrastructure behind the company’s space intelligence capabilities.
The team works across several technical areas, including maintaining orbital information, tracking objects in low Earth orbit, processing large datasets, generating analytical insights and coordinating activities across the company’s global radar network.
The engineer will help design, build and operate software services that support these operations. This involves developing reliable backend applications, integrating different systems, improving performance and ensuring that critical information is delivered securely and efficiently.
The position also involves collaboration with radar systems engineers, signal processing specialists, data scientists and other software developers. The successful candidate must therefore be comfortable working across different technical disciplines and translating operational requirements into dependable software solutions.
Key Responsibilities
The selected candidate will contribute to the design, development and maintenance of software systems supporting LeoLabs’ radar and space intelligence operations.
A significant part of the work will involve developing full-stack software for important engineering initiatives, particularly projects connected to U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community contracts.
The engineer will also participate in discussions with technical stakeholders and customers to understand operational requirements and convert them into clear engineering tasks.
Other responsibilities include:
- Designing and developing scalable software applications and backend services.
- Building software capabilities that support radar operations and space-domain awareness missions.
- Developing solutions for government and defence-related technology programmes.
- Working with other engineers to translate customer requirements into technical specifications.
- Improving the reliability, security, observability and performance of production systems.
- Maintaining software services throughout their development and operational lifecycles.
- Monitoring applications and resolving technical issues affecting production environments.
- Participating in on-call rotations to support critical systems.
- Applying generative AI tools to improve software development quality, productivity and security.
- Contributing to engineering discussions, design reviews and technical decision-making.
- Supporting the development of systems that coordinate sensors and integrate different software capabilities.
The role requires an engineer who can take responsibility for important parts of a system rather than simply completing isolated programming tasks.
Technical Responsibilities and Technologies
LeoLabs’ Cloud Software team works on systems that support several important operational functions.
One area involves maintaining orbital information and tracking objects in low Earth orbit. These systems need to process information consistently so that customers can access useful and reliable data about objects moving through space.
Another area involves large-scale data processing. The company handles substantial volumes of radar measurements and uses data pipelines to support analytics and machine-learning model development.
The team also develops software for coordinating and scheduling activities across the global radar network. This requires reliable communication between different services and systems.
In addition, LeoLabs provides user interfaces and APIs through which customers access information, visualisations and analytical capabilities. These services must meet strict availability and performance expectations.
The successful candidate will work with technologies and engineering practices relevant to these environments, including cloud infrastructure, distributed backend services, databases, message brokers, containerised deployments and continuous integration systems.
Required Qualifications and Experience
LeoLabs is seeking a highly experienced software engineering professional with at least five years of industry experience.
Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Candidates must also demonstrate practical experience developing, deploying and operating distributed backend services, particularly cloud-based systems designed to operate at scale.
The required qualifications include:
- At least five years of professional software engineering experience.
- Significant experience building cloud-based systems.
- Active U.S. Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance.
- Experience delivering software for U.S. Department of Defense or Intelligence Community customers.
- Proficiency in Python, Go or a comparable programming language.
- Experience designing and operating distributed backend applications.
- Understanding of software architecture, service boundaries and message-driven workflows.
- Strong knowledge of API design and system integration.
- Experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure.
- Familiarity with containerised application deployments.
- Experience with relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL.
- Knowledge of message brokers such as Kafka, Amazon SQS or similar technologies.
- Experience with observability tools and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) practices.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
- Willingness to participate in on-call support rotations.
The company also expects candidates to have experience and enthusiasm for using generative AI in software development.
Preferred Qualifications
Candidates with additional experience in the following areas may have an advantage:
- Developing production frontend applications using TypeScript, JavaScript or similar technologies.
- Deploying and maintaining applications within U.S. federal government environments.
- Working with Kubernetes in cloud infrastructure.
- Experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
- Knowledge of mathematics, physics or orbital mechanics.
- Building software for high-availability and mission-critical environments.
- Experience supporting aerospace, defence or intelligence-related technology projects.
These additional skills are particularly relevant because LeoLabs develops systems where software reliability, data accuracy and operational performance can directly affect customer missions.
What the Company Expects During the First Year
LeoLabs has outlined specific expectations for the person appointed to this position.
First Month: The engineer will complete onboarding, understand the company’s software architecture and become familiar with its operational practices. The individual will also begin contributing technical improvements and fixes.
Within Three Months: The successful candidate should be able to take ownership of medium-sized software features with limited supervision, participate in design discussions and contribute to projects supporting U.S. federal contracts.
Within Six Months: The engineer is expected to take responsibility for major services or components, participate in complex requirements discussions and deliver important software capabilities for revenue-generating projects.
Within Twelve Months: The candidate should be contributing to the technical direction of the Cloud Software team and helping develop systems for sensor coordination and integration. They will also play an important role as LeoLabs expands its U.S. federal contract work.
Salary and Employee Benefits
LeoLabs advertises a base salary of up to $194,700 per year, in addition to performance-related bonus opportunities, stock options and employee benefits.
The final compensation will depend on the candidate’s primary work location, professional experience, qualifications and other relevant factors.
Additional benefits include:
- Flexible remote and hybrid working arrangements, depending on the position.
- Unlimited paid time off for most roles.
- Competitive compensation and equity packages.
- Health, dental and vision insurance.
- Opportunities to work on advanced aerospace and national security technology.
- Access to complex engineering projects with practical applications.
Important: Security Clearance and Eligibility Requirements
This is one of the most important aspects of the vacancy.
Although the job description mentions remote work, the position requires candidates to hold an active U.S. Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance.
Applicants must also have experience delivering mission-critical software for U.S. Department of Defense or Intelligence Community systems.
The role involves periodic onsite travel, approximately once a month and typically for up to one week at a time. The preferred locations are the San Francisco Bay Area and Denver, Colorado. Candidates must also be able to access secure facilities when required.
Additionally, the position is subject to U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be eligible to obtain the necessary authorisations under applicable U.S. government export-control regulations.
Important for international applicants: This is not an unrestricted worldwide remote opportunity. Living outside the United States does not automatically establish eligibility. Applicants must meet the active TS/SCI clearance requirement, the relevant government-contract experience requirements and applicable ITAR authorisation conditions. Candidates should confirm their eligibility before applying.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates can submit their applications through the official LeoLabs recruitment portal.
Applicants should prepare an updated CV or résumé highlighting their professional software engineering experience, cloud infrastructure projects, programming skills and experience building distributed systems.
The application form requests personal and educational information, a LinkedIn profile, a résumé and details about the applicant’s technical background.
Candidates must also answer questions about their current TS/SCI clearance, experience developing software for Department of Defense or Intelligence Community systems, programming languages, cloud engineering experience and salary expectations.
Application Link: USE THIS LINK TO APPLY
Final Thoughts
The Senior Software Engineer position at LeoLabs is a demanding opportunity for experienced engineers interested in applying advanced software development skills to aerospace, space intelligence and national security challenges.
The role combines backend engineering, cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, data processing and mission-critical software operations. Its compensation package is competitive, and the opportunity to contribute to technology supporting satellite tracking and space operations makes it particularly interesting for professionals in the aerospace technology sector.
However, the active TS/SCI clearance requirement is a major eligibility condition. Candidates should assess this requirement carefully before submitting an application.
Israel Otoijamun is a digital business strategist, technology entrepreneur, and the founder of Xcrow, a platform connecting businesses with top remote talent.
With more than 15 years of experience across online platforms, technology, and digital payments, Israel regularly publishes insights on freelancing, tech job opportunities, remote workforce strategies, and modern hiring ecosystems.
Read more about Israel Otoijamun.
