Senior Software Engineer - Test Infrastructure

Loft Orbital Solutions•Golden, CO

About The Position

Loft Orbital is seeking a Test Infrastructure Engineer to design, develop, deploy, and maintain the infrastructure and tools used to automate hardware and software testing. The role supports high-fidelity testing of spacecraft systems and helps ensure satellite components work reliably before launch. The engineer will work across spacecraft, systems, software, hardware, and operations teams at Loft’s Golden, Colorado and Toulouse, France sites. The position calls for a product mindset, knowledge of embedded systems, networking, data exchange protocols, and software infrastructure, as well as the ability to work independently, take ownership, adapt to changing needs, and learn new technologies.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Computer Science or a similar field.
At least 2 years of experience working with Linux systems, including configuration, debugging, and system-level troubleshooting.
Strong understanding of networking fundamentals, including OSI layers, packet analysis, and data exchange protocols such as TCP/IP and UDP.
Hands-on experience with embedded systems or low-level hardware, such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or microcontrollers.
Proficiency in Python 3.9 or later for building test automation frameworks, device drivers, or test orchestration tools.
Experience containerizing applications with Docker.
Familiarity with at least one modern CI tool, such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, Buildkite, or CircleCI, and integrating test pipelines.
Ability to work independently with some guidance, take ownership, adapt to varied needs, and learn outside one’s comfort zone.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing or automating complex HIL/SIL testbeds, signal conditioning, fault injection, or hardware emulation.
Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code systems, specifically NixOS.
Familiarity with networking simulation tools, such as network emulators or virtual switches, for testing data flows under realistic mission constraints.
Interest or experience with hardware test automation frameworks, such as custom Python-based test rigs.

Responsibilities

Design, build, deploy, and maintain high-fidelity Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testbeds that emulate spacecraft systems, sensors, and communication links.
Design, build, deploy, and maintain Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) that interfaces with space vehicles during Assembly, Integration & Tests to support spacecraft and software validation and verification before launch campaigns.
Develop tools and frameworks that let teams simulate faults, edge cases, and mission scenarios that are difficult or costly to reproduce using physical hardware alone.
Work with systems, software, hardware, and operations teams to understand evolving test requirements and incorporate feedback into test platforms.
Maintain and extend test infrastructure supporting continuous integration (CI) pipelines, so code changes are validated with realistic system-level tests.
Troubleshoot complex system issues involving software, embedded hardware, networking, and system configuration.

Benefits

100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance option for employees and dependents.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA), including an employer contribution to the HSA.
100% employer-paid life, AD&D, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance.
Flexible Time Off policy for vacation and sick leave, plus 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 comprehensive fertility healthcare and family-forming benefits with financial support.
Off-sites, social events, and celebrations.
Relocation assistance when applicable.