{"id":2230012,"url":"https://alion.io/job/fortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer","title":"Sr. Ground Software Engineer","company":{"id":3910291,"name":"Fortastra","domain":"fortastra.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/fortastra","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":null},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Torrance, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":130000,"max":170000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":170000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AI Agents","optional":false},{"name":"Anomaly Detection","optional":false},{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Claude","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Rust","optional":false},{"name":"Time Series Forecasting","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T22:01:59Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-09","last_verified_at":"2026-10-11T19:48:29Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":10,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":10},"description":"Company Overview\nFortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. We integrate advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale. Our culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution empowering every engineer to think systemically, act decisively, and build with purpose. Aggressive innovation. Disciplined execution. Strength among the stars.\nWe recently closed a $30M Series A to build the future of on-orbit security and we’re just getting started!\nTeam / Department\nYou'll join Fortastra's Engineering Division. The ground software team is responsible for the systems that command our spacecraft, capture and manage their data, and turn raw telemetry into actionable insight, enabling reliable operations and rapid iteration across vehicles, from ground test through flight.\nThe Role \nFortastra is seeking a Sr. Ground Software Engineer to own ground control software, data infrastructure, and data visualization and analysis tools that support both flight operations and ground testing. You will be responsible for how we command our spacecraft, monitor them in real time, and store, serve, and make sense of the data they produce.\nYou will have the ability to work across the full ground stack from low-level data ingestion to user-facing analysis tools while collaborating closely with the teams that build and operate the vehicle. You will collaborate closely with our Flight Software team. They will build the flight software that runs on the spacecraft, and you will build everything on the ground that commands it, captures its data, and helps our engineers understand it.\nKey Responsibilities\nDesign and develop ground control software for commanding and monitoring spacecraft during flight operations and ground tests.\nOwn data infrastructure that ingests, stores, and serves high-rate telemetry and test data reliably and at scale.\nBuild data visualization and analysis tools that give engineers real-time and post-test insight into system behavior.\nDevelop telemetry pipelines that handle both live streaming data and large historical datasets, with disciplined attention to reliability and data integrity.\nWork with flight software and avionics engineers to define command and telemetry interfaces that minimize risk and simplify integration.\nBuild tooling that accelerates data review, anomaly detection, and post-test reconstruction.\nSupport real-time operations during tests and flights, including console roles as needed.\nGenerate and maintain clear documentation for ground software systems and interfaces with disciplined revision control.\nCollaborate with test and integration teams to ensure ground systems are buildable, testable, and serviceable, and support floor activities such as test setup and data verification.\nIdentify and resolve issues related to data flow, system observability, and interactions between ground software and other spacecraft and test infrastructure\nQualifications & Skills\nB.S. Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics, or other sciences and/or physics-based degree.\nPrior experience in ground software, mission operations, or telemetry/command systems\nExperience designing and building data infrastructure, databases, time-series stores, streaming pipelines, or message buses\nExperience building data visualization and analysis tools for technical or engineering users\nProficiency in one or more modern languages such as Python, C++, Go, or Rust\nExperience with space systems, rovers, satellites, launch vehicles, etc.\nSolid understanding of networking, protocols, and real-time or high-throughput data handling\nExperience with cloud-based ground systems or mission control software\nExposure to DevOps and automated testing pipelines\nComfort using modern agentic AI tools (e.g., Claude) in the development workflow.\nAbility to work independently and in small, fast-moving teams.\nWork is on-site, remote or hybrid arrangements will not be considered.\nU.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain or have an active TS/SCI clearance.\nWhy Fortastra\nWe are a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes from first principles through flight and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy.\nFORTASTRA TALENT & CULTURE PRINCIPLES\nValues Driven by First Principles\nWe value engineers and operators who prioritize sound judgment, candor, technical rigor, bias for action, and intellectual honesty over corporate consensus. We care about the caliber of the system you build and the speed at which you solve problems.\nTalent Density Over Headcount\nA high-performing startup is built on dense talent, not organizational bloat. A single exceptional engineer designs, tests, and delivers faster than a bloated committee. We intentionally maintain a lean, elite engineering crew where every contributor directly moves the needle on the mission. \nHigh Autonomy, High Ownership\nWe hire domain experts to execute, not to micromanage them. You own your systems end-to-end, from initial architecture and hardware design to testing and deployment. With absolute ownership comes the responsibility to deliver mission critical reliability. \nMission Context Over Bureaucracy\nThe best execution happens when teams are provided clear technical objectives, constraints, and operational context, rather than rigid top-down policies. We strip away red tape so builders can iterate, make decisions, and push hardware and flight software forward rapidly. \nDisciplined Speed & Flight Rigor\nWe move fast because we test often and kill artificial bottlenecks, not because we cut corners. Rapid iteration on the test stand and in simulation is how we learn; an uncompromising flight-readiness bar is how we earn trust. Precision without friction, speed without recklessness.\nDirect Impact, Not Career Bureaucracy\nYou don’t come to Fortastra to climb a corporate ladder or manage slide decks; you come to build complex, flight-ready systems from day one. Growth here is organic, driven by the magnitude of technical challenges you solve and the trust you build across the team. \nBenefits\nWe take care of our employees so they can focus on what matters most: family, well-being, and life outside of work.\nUnlimited Paid Time Off so that you have the time you need to rest and recharge.\nComprehensive Healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, because peace of mind starts with feeling cared for.\nEquity: Share in Fortastra's success with equity in the company you're helping build.\n401(k): A 401(k) plan to help you invest in your future and plan for what's ahead.\nSocial Events: Regular social events, team outings, and company-sponsored activities that make this a place people are glad to be part of.\nThe pay range for this role is $130,000.00 - $170,000.00. Where an offer falls within that range depends on factors like your qualifications, experience, location, and interview performance, which we weigh against the market rate for the position.\nRecruiters & Agencies: Fortastra does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from recruiters, agencies, or third parties. Any candidate submitted without a signed agreement and prior written authorization from Fortastra will not be subject to any fee, and no relationship is implied. Please do not contact Fortastra employees, hiring managers, or recruiting team directly.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7640,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Satellite Manufacturing","Space Defense"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-10T19:41:07Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":82,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.824,"p_room":1,"age_days":10,"expected_fill_days":38,"reasons":["conf:1","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-11T21:24:10Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":170000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/fortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/fortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-11T21:24:10Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":10265,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-12T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3910291},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3910291"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Ffortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Ffortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Ffortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/fortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Ffortastra-sr-ground-software-engineer"}]}