Flight Dynamics Software Engineer

Loft Orbital Solutions • San Francisco, CA

1d

About The Position

Loft Orbital is hiring a Flight Dynamics Software Engineer for its Ground Platform organization. The role focuses on developing and improving flight-dynamics software to support a growing satellite fleet and demanding customer missions. The software must enable highly automated, reliable, and safe operations, including collision avoidance, orbit determination, stationkeeping, and attitude performance.

The engineer will contribute to open-source astrodynamics tooling and develop and maintain in-house backend applications that compute, store, and serve fleet data such as ephemerides, maneuvers, conjunctions, and target orbits. The role also involves working with systems and mission engineers to translate requirements into operational outcomes, and supporting satellite operations engineers with astrodynamics expertise during LEOP, anomalies, and conjunction response. The position is available across multiple locations; applicants need to apply only once.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in physics or an engineering discipline.
• Deep technical understanding of some of the following: orbital mechanics, state estimation, spacecraft maneuver planning, conjunction assessment, and spacecraft attitude modeling.
• Fundamentals of numerical methods, including solvers, optimization, and simulation techniques.
• Experience designing and developing software libraries and backend services in Python.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in physics or an engineering discipline.
• Proficiency with astrodynamics tools such as STK, Astrogator, GMAT, OreKit, Monte, Copernicus, OpenSpaceToolkit, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated practical experience in spacecraft constellation flight-dynamics operations.
• Demonstrated practical experience building high-performance backend software applications and/or libraries.
• Ability to solve complex problems in a highly collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Implement and improve algorithms for orbit determination, orbit propagation, maneuver planning, conjunction assessment, collision avoidance, and attitude modeling.
• Contribute to open-source astrodynamics tooling used for flight operations and simulation across the company.
• Develop and maintain in-house flight-dynamics ground-software backend applications that compute, store, and serve fleet ephemerides, maneuvers, conjunctions, target orbits, and related data.
• Work with systems and mission engineers to translate technical mission requirements and customer demands into operational outcomes in orbit.
• Provide astrodynamics expertise to satellite operations engineers during LEOP, anomalies, and conjunction response.
• Assist with configuring the software stack for various customer missions.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance option for employees and dependents.
• Flexible Spending (FSA) and Health Savings (HSA) accounts, 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.
• International exposure to the team in France.
• Fully paid parental leave: 14 weeks for a primary caregiver and 10 weeks for a secondary caregiver.
• Carrot Fertility benefits, including inclusive fertility healthcare and family-forming support with financial assistance.
• Off-sites, social events, and celebrations.
• Relocation assistance when applicable.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level