Software Engineer, Ground Software
About Katalyst
We build robotic spacecraft that enable dynamic space operations, creating a future where maneuvering, upgrading, refueling, and exploration are as routine as they are on Earth. Getting to space and overcoming the gravity well is only half the story. What you do there is the future. We are not building the trains. We are building the machines that lay down the tracks. By developing the foundational capabilities that make sustained, responsive operations possible, we enable a new era of space activity that strengthens national security and ensures freedom of action in an increasingly contested domain.
Culture
Working at Katalyst is intense, hands-on, and deeply rewarding. You’ll take real ownership and see your work move from concept to operations in an environment where the problems are hard and the impact is real. We value humility, craftsmanship, and doing things the right way, even when it’s harder. You’ll work closely with thoughtful, driven teammates who push each other to do their best.
Responsibilities
- Review and understand current Ground stack
- Understand and walk through current mission workflows
- Identify any gaps and potential technical debt
- Train on console for upcoming mission operations
What You Will Own In The Next 30 Days
- Will have chosen an area to become a code owner in
- Help create automated tooling to improve ground procedures
- Help enforce and improve culture around code quality and standards
- Mentor junior engineers
- Be an advocate and example of testing and integrating work into other areas in the company
- Help give technical expertise to fill out user stories and epics
What We Value
- System-level thinker understanding cloud-based scalable microservice systems
- Strong desire to build and design something from the ground up
- Able to understand and communicate customer needs into actionable items
- Someone who strives for clarity and understanding, but can make do without perfect requirements
- An operations-first developer
- A strong executor and someone that excels in producing valuable and reliable code
- A passion for automation and creating systems that streamline operations
- Reliability-first mindset
Requirements
Your Ideal Background:
- 3-8 years of cloud-based scalable microservice architecture experience
- Experience owning services in production
- Experience supporting mission-critical services
- Experience in creating high-reliability production-critical systems
- Familiarity working with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure proper feature creation
- Deep technical fluency in cloud, backend, frontend, and streaming systems
- Proficiency with AWS Suite (EKS, MSK, Timestream, S3, Batch, Event Bridge), Python, C++, React, Tailwind, Redis, Kafka, Influx, QuestDB, MongoDB, git, CI/CD, Docker, K8
- Minimum bachelor’s degree in computer science or other related STEM fields
- Master’s degree preferred
Pay
The anticipated salary range for this role is $120,000 - $165,000 annually. Base salary is determined based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.
Benefits
- Long-term incentives in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan
- Relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
At Katalyst, our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130. This requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR-controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst must ensure any non-US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment.