Software Engineer Flight + Plan

Software Engineer, Flight + PlanWhat You’ll Be Doing 👨‍💻👩‍💻🛰️As a Software Engineer on the Flight + Plan team, you will lead the design and development of scalable systems that power satellite modeling, mission planning, operational automation, and flight dynamics workflows across Quindar’s platform.You’ll work primarily in Python to architect and implement high-performance backend systems capable of supporting real-world spacecraft operations in production environments. This includes building and validating algorithms, integrating cloud-native services, and developing infrastructure that scales from single missions to large satellite constellations.This role sits at the intersection of aerospace engineering and modern software infrastructure. You’ll collaborate closely with flight dynamics engineers, operators, frontend engineers, and product leadership to turn complex operational requirements into resilient, maintainable systems.Success in this role requires more than strong implementation skills. We’re looking for engineers who actively seek leverage through automation and who are enthusiastic about integrating AI tools, coding agents, and AI-assisted workflows into their daily practice. At Quindar, we believe modern engineering teams should use AI to accelerate development, improve validation depth, reduce operational friction, and raise the overall quality bar across the platform.In this role, you will:Lead the design and implementation of backend systems supporting mission planning, satellite operations, and flight engineering workflowsDevelop and validate algorithms related to optimization, orbit propagation, scheduling, sensor fusion, or operational automationBuild APIs and distributed services that integrate with cloud infrastructure and operational toolingImprove system scalability, reliability, observability, and performance across mission-critical workflowsUse automation and AI-assisted engineering practices to improve developer productivity, testing depth, debugging efficiency, and operational insightCollaborate cross-functionally with aerospace engineers, operators, frontend engineers, and product managers to deliver operationally robust solutionsHelp shape engineering standards, technical direction, and architectural decisions across the Flight + Plan domainMentor engineers and contribute to a strong culture of ownership, iteration, and technical excellenceRequiredTechnical SkillsStrong proficiency in Python and experience with Java (C++, Rust, or other systems languages are a plus)Deep experience building scalable backend or distributed systems in production environmentsExperience developing software that models complex mathematical, aerospace, or physics-based systemsApplied experience developing or validating algorithms for optimization, mission planning, orbit determination, scheduling, or sensor fusionStrong understanding of software architecture, performance optimization, reliability, and modern engineering best practicesExperience designing, analyzing, and troubleshooting:API servicesDistributed systemsRelational databasesCaching and event-driven architecturesExperience building and deploying containerized applications using Kubernetes and/or serverless cloud infrastructureHands-on experience with AWS services such as:Lambda, ECS, EKSCloudWatch, S3EC2, RDS, EFS/EBSExperience with CI/CD systems and modern git-based workflowsEnthusiasm for using AI-assisted engineering tools and automation to improve development velocity and software qualityWhat Makes You Stand OutYou use automation and AI to increase engineering leverage and system quality — not just move fasterYou thrive in ambiguous, highly technical problem spaces and can independently drive solutions from concept to productionYou balance long-term architectural thinking with rapid executionYou communicate clearly across software, aerospace, and operational teamsYou maintain high standards for reliability, maintainability, observability, and operational readinessYou naturally take ownership and help raise the technical bar for the team around youBackground QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field6–10+ years of professional experience in backend engineering, distributed systems, mission planning systems, modeling & simulation, or related technical domainsEquivalent hands-on experience from an exceptional self-starter with deep technical expertise will also be consideredExperience operating or supporting mission-critical production systems preferredActive U.S. Security Clearance preferred but not requiredITAR REQUIREMENTS:To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here. Why you'll love working at QuindarWe work in a cutting edge industry and you will get the opportunity to be part of a small team with a large direct impact on the success of our customers’ space missions!We take work life balance very seriously. We require employees to take 15 days off but provide unlimited PTO and follow most US federal government holidays. Mental health is just as important as physical so we provide quarterly health & wellness benefits. Comprehensive health insurance for you and your family with 100% coverage for employees. We encourage employees to save for retirement and provide 4% 401(k) matching. Each year we have a 4-day company offsite. Previous locations include San Francisco, Nashville, Denver, Santa Fe, New Orleans, San Diego, Bozeman, and New York City. Our culture and company is evolving. You will be key in creating the next major or minor version!Compensation Range: $140K - $180K