Onboard Software Engineer - Deployment & Runtime Environments

Loft’s 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 team’s scope is expanding fast.

We’re 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. You’ll move between Linux internals, container runtimes, and CI pipelines, sometimes in the same afternoon.

About this role:

• Contribute to and evolve our bundle 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 our onboard 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 our Runtime 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 to Product 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:

• Equity, we want you to have an active role in our success
• Up to 35 days of Paid Time Off (vacations & RTT ) and flexible working hours, we want you to be at your best
• Health and life insurance, we care about your health
• Lunch Vouchers, because let’s be honest, we love food! (we even have a slack channel about it #loft-gourmand)
• Cross-office travel opportunities between San Francisco, Colorado, and Toulouse to learn from our differences
• Company and team off-sites and many other events to work & celebrate together
• Relocation assistance to Toulouse when applicable