Develops laser telemetry stations and a data platform to track satellites and space debris.
Backend / Data Platform Engineer
Foundational is building a shortlist for a future Backend / Data Platform Engineer role in London. The role involves building the platform that ingests, processes and delivers satellite tracking data, from stations to the customer API. It requires extensive experience building backend systems in production, as well as Python (or Go or Rust), SQL and data pipelines.
Information about Foundational
- Official domain
- foundational.space
- Open jobs
- 28
Job details
The full description published by Foundational.
Description de l’offre
BACKEND / DATA PLATFORM ENGINEER This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.
About us
Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit. We design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked. Our station network is expanding across continents.
The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space. We're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, and Innovate UK. Position Overview London
- Full time
- On-site You'll build the platform that ingests, processes and serves our tracking data, all the way from station to customer API.
What you'll do
- Build ingest pipelines from our stations and from third-party data sources
- Design data models and storage for high-volume, time-series scientific data
- Build and maintain customer APIs and data delivery in standard formats
- Make pipelines reliable, observable and secure, including for customers with strict data-handling requirements
- Work closely with front-end, geodesy and orbit determination engineers
What you'll bring
Extensive experience building backend systems in production
- Strong Python (or Go or Rust) and SQL
- Experience with data pipelines, message queues and time-series storage
- Cloud infrastructure and containers (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Care for testing, security and documentation
Nice to have
Scientific or geospatial data
- Space data standards (CCSDS, CRD)
- Streaming platforms such as Kafka
- A background in space situational awareness
What We Offer
A high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company
- EMI share options (UK employees)
- 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
- Enhanced Parental Leave
- Cycle to work schemes
- Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics
- Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials We actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.
Requirements
- Extensive experience building backend systems in production
- Strong Python (or Go or Rust) and SQL
- Experience with data pipelines, message queues and time-series storage
- Cloud infrastructure and containers (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Care for testing, security and documentation
Benefits mentioned
- EMI share options (UK employees)
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Enhanced parental leave
- Cycle to work schemes
- Offices in central London with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials
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More jobs at Foundational
27 other jobs currently available.
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Foundational is hiring a Full Stack Software Engineer in London to develop and deploy its SaaS applications with Python, React and AWS. The role covers frontend and backend development, as well as DevOps practices and deployment automation. The company designs laser stations that measure distances to satellites and develops an orbital data platform.
In London, the Technical Sales Engineer leads discovery calls and demos with prospective customers, then defines satellite tracking solutions suited to their missions. The role involves answering technical requirements in RFPs, supporting the integration of retroreflectors onto satellites, and sharing customer needs with the product and engineering teams. This full-time, on-site role focuses on Foundational’s laser ranging data and retroreflectors, as part of a company specializing in space technology.
The DevOps / SRE role is a future full-time, on-site position in London, focused on keeping the cloud platform and remote station software reliable and secure. Responsibilities cover cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, monitoring, remote access and updates, and incident response. Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, Linux, networking, and experience with a major cloud provider are required.
The BD Manager EMEA role will grow Foundational’s business in defence, national security and the space sector, serving institutional and commercial customers. You will build customer relationships and lead business opportunities from initial conversations through to contracts, contributing to tenders and proposals. The role is based in London and involves travel across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Vous piloterez les appels d’offres et demandes de subventions, de la sélection des opportunités au dépôt des dossiers. Vous rédigerez les sections non techniques, préparerez les budgets et coordonnerez les partenaires et le suivi après attribution. Le poste à temps plein et sur site est basé à Londres, au sein d’une entreprise de technologie spatiale.