Backend Engineer - Oort

Loft Orbital is hiring a Backend Engineer - Oort in San Francisco, United States. It pays $140k-$190k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Loft Orbital.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this software engineer role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include Python, Docker and Django.
Level classifies it as a mid-level role.
Level lists 71 other open roles at Loft Orbital.
The role was posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

Backend Engineer to build and operate features across central web platform services managing space mission data.

pythondockerdjangographqlkubernetesawsgcp

backend-engineeringapi-designdatabasesoftware-architecture

Wanna join the adventure? Loft Orbital is looking for a Backend Engineer to join our Oort team. Oort is our central web platform—a unified environment that consolidates all infrastructure data and tools, empowering Loft to streamline, integrate, and manage the entire mission lifecycle with unprecedented efficiency and transparency. Oort bridges the gap between diverse mission phases, operational teams, and business processes by centralizing essential information and workflows, establishing a standard for space mission execution at scale.

About this role:

Build, and operate features across backend services that collect, manage, and surface critical infrastructure data for the full Loft mission lifecycle.
Design and implement APIs and integrations that connect tooling and data across teams and systems.
Partner with program management, satellite engineering, operations, and business stakeholders to analyze and understand mission design, program, and business processes—and translate them into intuitive, reliable software.
Apply a product mindset across the stack: seek user feedback, identify friction in both backend workflows and UI/UX, and deliver solutions that meaningfully reduce complexity for the people and teams building and operating space infrastructure.

Must Haves:

Demonstrated proficiency in Python for backend engineering.
Practical experience using Docker for containerization and deployment in scalable environments.
Experience in backend architecture, encompassing API design and robust database interactions.
You have hands‑on experience building, operating, or integrating technologies for space missions and a passion for making complex, multi‑team technical endeavors more efficient and standardized.
You thrive on dissecting intricate business and technical processes, mapping them end‑to‑end—highlighting friction points and opportunities for unique solutions.
You excel in team environments, communicate complex ideas with clarity, and advocate for seamless collaboration between engineering, operations, and business functions.
You are a proactive problem solver and a respectful challenger of assumptions, comfortable owning features from design through production operations.
Fluency in English.

Nice to Haves:

Experience in the design, modeling, or analysis of space missions, with an understanding of mission lifecycle complexities.
Proficiency with Django and GraphQL, and familiarity with modern cloud infrastructure platforms (e.g., GCP/AWS, Kubernetes).
Familiarity with testing tools across the stack (e.g., PyTest, Jest, React Testing Library, Playwright/Cypress) and strong CI/CD practices.

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

*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 aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t 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, Loft’s 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.

How we rate this

Backend Engineer - Oort at Loft Orbital rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Backend Engineer - Oort is an open job at Loft Orbital.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $140k-$190k a year.
The role is based in San Francisco, CA.
The job was posted on October 29, 2026.
Seniority: mid.
Applications are handled by Loft Orbital. Apply on Loft Orbital

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Backend EngineeringAPI DesignDatabaseSoftware ArchitecturePythonDockerDjangoGraphQL

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Java C++TypeScript JavaScript Azure C#

Pay

This job starts at: $140k
Typical software engineer job: $168k

This posting starts 17% below the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where backend engineering was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where api design was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where database was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where software architecture was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used Python in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Backend Engineering, API Design, Database, Software Architecture, and Python. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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