Senior Staff Python Engineer
Astra
Software Engineering
Alameda, CA, USA
Posted on Jan 8, 2025
Astra’s mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch services, and one of the industry’s leading flight-proven electric propulsion systems for satellites, the Astra Spacecraft Engine.
The Team
Software is at the forefront of how we operate at Astra. As a vertically integrated rocket company, every decision we make is data-driven: from CAD designs to the launch of a rocket, we look for patterns and relationships at each stage of our design, manufacturing, test, and operations. This unprecedented level of integration requires equally vertically integrated software that gives insight into topics that matter, guiding our decisions.
The software team has always operated as a small, versatile team that punches above its weight. As we grow we want to maintain those cross-functional technical skillsets and embrace diversity in backgrounds because sometimes writing the best rocket company software in the world is like programming a synthesizer, and other times it is like sanding the rust off of an old cabinet.
The Opportunity
Did writing software to launch rockets not already convince you to sign up?
As a Sr. Staff Software Engineer on the software team, you will be writing software to automate every aspect of testing and launching many rockets, you will will build the tools to collect and analyze high-speed, high-precision data, and you will invent the technologies that power the next generation of the space industry. We mean that.
How You'll Fulfill Your Mission
- Learn: work with cross-functional teams to understand end-to-end how we design, manufacture, test, assemble, and launch our products.
- Build: modern, responsive tools to improve the happiness, efficiency, and effectiveness of your coworkers.
- Fail fast: embrace change and iteration over dogma and stagnation.
- Dream: think big in terms of what's possible to build a truly extraordinary software system.
Why We Value You
- You have a passion for software, we believe software gives you the power to make each day better for the people around you.
- You can thrive in a reactive environment, our software touches nearly every facet of the company and the company moves fast.
- You are willing to tackle hard problems, we are capable of changing the how the world interacts with space, sometimes that means inventing new, better ways of doing things.
- You enjoy collaboration, we work daily with a lot of teams with diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and levels of experience. Empathy goes a long way.
- You have strong coding skills, our stack is primarily Python and TypeScript, but we interact with C/C++, Go, and various other languages on a regular basis.
- You undertake projects and tasks with an attention to detail coupled with a sense of urgency, we deal with high voltage, explosives, and cryogenic materials.
- You have been building production software for 10 years or more, we use old things as well as new and need the experience.
Desired Multipliers
- Cloud-native software development
- Time-series database technology
- Building services with high availability and high reliability
- Common API patterns, frameworks, and formats: GRPC, REST, JSON, YAML, Protobuf
- Telemetry aggregation, packet tracing, control systems
- Open source projects
The pay range for this role is: $143,650-$187,000
The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base salary range in the San Francisco Bay Area and excludes additional earnings such as bonus and benefits. If your salary requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply.
You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Astra, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.
San Francisco Applicants: Astra will consider applicants with arrest and conviction records (criminal histories) in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
ITAR Requirements: This position requires compliance with U.S. Government space technology trade restrictions, specifically the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and additional regulations governing satellite, launch vehicle, missile, and other related technologies. All jobs restricted by these regulations will be contingent upon the applicant’s status as a documented U.S. Person or their ability to receive a trade license from the cognizant government agency; in addition to any required company background checks and in compliance with applicable U.S. and California laws. Similarly, positions requiring the ability to work on government contracts or a security clearance are also contingent upon the applicants ability to receive the appropriate clearance and be allowed to work on U.S. government contracts.
