Senior Software Engineer (Command & Control)

Umbra • Santa Barbara, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Umbra is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join their Command, Control, and Communications (C3) team. This role is crucial for designing and building systems that enable autonomous satellite operations, operating at the intersection of software engineering, mission operations, and aerospace systems. The engineer will work on services supporting spacecraft command, telemetry processing, and mission execution, collaborating with various engineering teams. The ideal candidate will possess a systems-oriented mindset, capable of reasoning across software, physics, infrastructure, and operations, taking ownership of complex problems, and translating mission needs into scalable software. This is an opportunity to influence the evolution of C3 systems as Umbra scales, contributing to hands-on development, architecture, engineering practices, and team culture. The position is based on-site in Santa Barbara/Goleta, CA, Arlington, VA, or Reston, VA.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5-8+ years of experience building and operating production level backend systems.
• Strong proficiency in backend development (preferably Python) and API design (REST or similar).
• Experience building or supporting mission control, command and control, or operational systems.
• Familiarity with spacecraft operations concepts (telemetry, commanding, orbit determination, etc.).
• Experience with distributed systems, event driven architectures, and microservices.
• Experience deploying and operating services in cloud environments (AWS or similar).
• Strong understanding of system reliability, observability, and failure modes.
• Experience with relational databases (e.g., Postgres) and data driven applications.
• Ability to work cross functionally and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical partners.

Nice To Haves

• Has led the development of critical systems in aerospace, robotics, or other physics heavy domains (e.g., GNC, flight dynamics, simulation, or scientific computing).
• Strong systems thinking. Ability to reason about tradeoffs across architecture, operations, and mission impact.
• Experience leading technical projects or influencing architecture across teams.
• Track record of improving team effectiveness through mentorship, documentation, or knowledge sharing.
• Experience with infrastructure monitoring, observability tooling, and production debugging.
• Familiarity with Rust or other systems programming languages.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate mission critical backend systems for satellite command, control, and communications.
• Own services end-to-end, from architecture and implementation through deployment and operational support.
• Collaborate across disciplines (flight software, GNC, operations, infrastructure) to deliver integrated mission solutions.
• Contribute to and evolve system architecture, with a focus on reliability, scalability, and fault tolerance.
• Improve system resilience by identifying and addressing failure modes, bottlenecks, and operational risks.
• Lead or contribute to cross functional projects, helping break down problems and align teams.
• Mentor other engineers and contribute to a culture of shared ownership, strong documentation, and continuous learning.
• Participate in on-call rotations and support operational excellence across C3 systems.

Benefits

• Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
• Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
• 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
• Stock Options
• Free parking
• Free lunch in office daily

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees