{"id":65121,"url":"https://alion.io/job/reflect-orbital-principal-ground-software-engineer","title":"Principal Ground Software Engineer","company":{"id":5402,"name":"Reflect Orbital","domain":"reflectorbital.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/reflect-orbital","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":86,"open_postings":4,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.75,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":16,"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"}},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Hawthorne, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":120000,"max":190000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":190000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AWS","optional":false},{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"Kubernetes","optional":false},{"name":"Linux","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Rust","optional":false},{"name":"Time Series Forecasting","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-19T23:45:46Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-19","last_verified_at":"2026-10-17T15:44:21Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":58,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":58},"description":"At Reflect, you will be expected to move fast, have a lot of ownership and, most importantly, be able to effect change. If this excites you, we are interested in hearing about your best work and accomplishments across any domain and from any points in your life.\nAbout the Role\nAs a Principal Satellite Ground Software Engineer, you'll set the technical direction for the ground segment: the architecture that takes us from operating single satellites with hands-on passes to operating a constellation with minimal operator involvement. You'll make the build/buy/extend calls on core infrastructure and be responsible for ground segment readiness at every launch.\nThis is a hands-on role on a small team. You'll write code, deploy and operate what you build, and troubleshoot issues that span software, networks, and hardware. You'll also mentor engineers, review designs across the team, and make the architectural decisions the rest of the ground segment builds on.\nResponsibilities\nDefine the ground segment architecture and technical roadmap: command and telemetry systems, ground station network strategy, data infrastructure, and automation\n\nMake build/buy/extend decisions on command and control infrastructure, mission planning, fleet management, and ground network and GSaaS providers\n\nDesign for constellation scale: automated contact scheduling across many satellites and sites, fleet-wide telemetry and alerting, and increasing automation of routine operations\n\nDefine engineering practices across the ground/flight boundary, including interface documentation and simulation and hardware-in-the-loop test infrastructure\n\nLead ground segment work through launch campaigns, commissioning, and major anomalies\n\nBuild security into the ground segment from the start: link protection, key management, and access control\n\nImprove the reliability and observability of mission-critical ground systems\n\nMentor engineers, review designs and code, and support hiring for the ground software team\n\nQualifications\nBachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science or a related technical field, or equivalent experience\n\n10+ years of experience developing ground systems software (services, APIs, and applications)\n\nExperience setting technical direction for a ground segment or comparable real-time infrastructure\n\nExperience taking satellites, or a comparable hardware fleet, through launch, commissioning, and sustained operations\n\nExperience deploying and operating software on AWS, including container orchestration with Kubernetes and CI/CD systems\n\nStrong understanding of networking protocols, routing, VPNs, and secure connectivity\n\nKnowledge of satellite ground systems, including ground station networking, antenna interfaces, and RF subsystems\n\nExperience building services around databases and real-time data (relational or time-series)\n\nStrong programming and scripting skills (Python, C++, and/or Rust)\n\nFamiliarity with Linux environments and command-line tools\n\nExperience building software for multi-satellite constellation operations is a plus\n\nEven if you don’t meet 100% of the above qualifications, we are likely still interested in hearing from you. Hiring exceptional individuals is our #1 priority, and we believe that exceptional people often have highly unusual backgrounds.\nWe are also interested in carving out unique roles for unconventional people that we are excited about working with.\nBenefits\nReflect Orbital’s success will hinge on our team, which is why our compensation and benefits plan is designed to reward our employees and support their families as generously as we’re able.\nBroad choice of medical/dental/vision coverage, Reflect covers 100% of each base-policy\n\nAccess to HSA, FSA, and 401K\n\nUnlimited paid time off\n\nHealthy lunches provided daily\n\nEqual Opportunity\nReflect Orbital is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Reflect Orbital is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.\nMore about Reflect Orbital:\n\nLearn more about our team here.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4292,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space Services","Solar Energy"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-08-19T23:45:46Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 3","filings_12m":3,"filings_prev_12m":0,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":157500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":2}],"liveness":{"score":12,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.347,"p_room":0.35,"age_days":58,"expected_fill_days":16,"reasons":["conf:3","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-17T05:46:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":190000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/reflect-orbital-principal-ground-software-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/reflect-orbital-principal-ground-software-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-17T17:54:39Z","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":501,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-18T00:00:00Z"}},"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":5402},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=5402"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Freflect-orbital-principal-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%2Freflect-orbital-principal-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%2Freflect-orbital-principal-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/reflect-orbital-principal-ground-software-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Freflect-orbital-principal-ground-software-engineer"}]}