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Onboard Software Engineer Deployment & Runtime Environments

Loft Orbital Solutions

Job Location:

San Francisco, CA - USA

Yearly Salary: $ 144000 - 198000

Posted: 24 July 2026 (30+ days ago)

Application Deadline: 21 October 2026

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Wanna join the adventure

Lofts Onboard Software group provides the on-orbit software that powers our satellite fleet from the Linux services running on the hub processor to the containerized workloads executing customer applications in low Earth orbit.

The Deployment & Runtime Environments team is where software meets the satellite. We own how software gets packaged deployed and executed onboard: from the tool that assembles and maintains mission-specific software stacks to the Runtime Container Environment that lets partner and customer workloads run securely in orbit to the Linux infrastructure that makes it all reliable. As more satellite programs come online and as we open our container runtime to a growing number of external workloads the teams scope is expanding fast.

Were looking for someone scrappy the kind of engineer who digs into an unfamiliar system maps it out and gets it shipped without needing the path handed to them. Youll move between Linux internals container runtimes and CI pipelines sometimes in the same afternoon.

About this role:

Contribute to and evolve ourbundle management tool the tool that resolves package dependencies assembles mission-specific software stacks and enables the Solutions team to spin up and maintain an ever-growing number of satellite programs
Develop and harden ouronboard Linux infrastructure: how services are deployed on the rootfs what system manages their execution and how we ensure reliable and recoverable Linux operation in orbit
Evolve ourRuntime Container Environment the container manager and the full stack around it (base images container registry service) enabling partner and customer workloads to run securely onboard our vehicles
Support scaling of the deployment pipeline as new hardware platforms are added and the number of active satellite programs grows
Contribute toProduct Validation as the last step in the development pipeline the team plays a key role in validating software readiness before it goes to orbit
Design implement and refine software with a high degree of ownership driving features from concept through delivery
Participate in code reviews design proposals and the continuous improvement of development processes

Must Haves:

Strong understanding of containerization technologies (Docker Kubernetes or similar runtimes)
Deep Linux system knowledge: boot process service management filesystem layout and failure recovery
Experience with CI/CD pipelines (GitLab-CI Jenkins or similar)
Proficiency with Git and collaborative development workflows
Experience with embedded or resource-constrained systems
Working Python

Nice to Haves:

Understanding of software deployment strategies for critical or hard-to-reach systems OTA updates for cars drones or consumer hardware or software updates on satellites including concepts like golden images A/B partitions staged rollouts and safe rollback
C knowledge
Experience with CUE (cuelang)
Familiarity with additional programming languages such as Go or Rust
Experience with embedded Linux: Yocto device trees systemd and Linux on ARM platforms
Proficiency with unit test frameworks (e.g. pytest Googletest Unity)
Experience with middleware frameworks (gRPC ZMQ/NATS etc.)

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

$144000 - $198000 a year

State law requires us to tell you the base compensation range for this role which is $144000 - $198000 per year. This is determined by your education experience knowledge skills and abilities. The salary range for this role is intentionally wide as we evaluate individuals based on their unique experience and abilities to fit our needs. Most importantly we are excited to meet you and see if you are a great fit for our team. What we cantquantify for you are the exciting challenges supportive team and amazing culture we enjoy.

*Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft we value respectful debate and people who arent afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply even if you dont check all the boxes.

Who We Are

Loft: Space Made Simple.

Founded in 2017 Loft provides governments companies and research institutions with a fast reliable and simple way to deploy missions in orbit.

We integrate launch and operate spacecraft offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation IoT connectivity on-orbit AI national security missions and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 30 missions flown Lofts flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives.

With a growing fleet on track to reach 30 satellites by 2027 we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco CA Golden CO and Toulouse France to meet accelerating demand for space infrastructure.

As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process such as reviewing applications analyzing resumes or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed please contact us.

Required Experience:

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