Data Engineer

<p><strong>Why LeoLabs?</strong></p>
<p>At LeoLabs, we’re building the living map of activity in space. Through our proprietary global radar network and AI-enabled analytics platform, we collect millions of measurements daily on more than 25,000 objects in low Earth orbit (LEO). Our radar-powered intelligence protects billions in assets, monitors adversarial behavior, and ensures safe operations for commercial and government missions.</p>
<p>We’re not just building technology, we are redefining global security, safety, and transparency in space. As orbital activity accelerates and threats grow more complex, LeoLabs is a trusted partner for Space Domain Awareness, Space Traffic Management, and Satellite Operations for top-tier space operators and allied defense organizations.</p>
<p>If you're looking to work on mission-critical challenges at the forefront of aerospace, national security, and AI, your impact starts here.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>The Opportunity </strong></p>
<p>We are seeking a motivated and hands-on early career <strong>Data Engineer</strong> to join LeoLabs’ growing Insights team. You will play a key role in building and operating the data pipelines and analytics infrastructure that power customer insights, internal decision-making, and real-time space domain awareness capabilities. <br> <br>You will work closely with software engineers, radar and catalog teams, and data scientists to ensure reliable extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of mission-critical datasets. This includes developing scalable batch and streaming data workflows, enabling advanced analytics, and supporting machine learning initiatives. <br> <br>Your contributions will help transform large volumes of sensor and orbital data into actionable intelligence that enables users to safely operate and manage assets in low-Earth orbit. This early career role is primarily hands-on development, with opportunities to grow into increased ownership of data platform design and optimization. </p>
<p><strong>Qualifications </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. personnel security clearance</li>
<li>B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or equivalent experience </li>
<li><strong>0-2 years of experience</strong> in data engineering, software engineering, analytics engineering, or related technical roles</li>
<li>Experience designing and building data pipelines or ETL/ELT workflows </li>
<li>Hands-on experience with Databricks, Apache Spark, or distributed data processing frameworks </li>
<li>Proficiency in Python and SQL for data transformation and analysis </li>
<li>Familiarity with data modeling concepts and modern data lake or warehouse architectures </li>
<li>Experience working in cloud-native environments (AWS preferred) </li>
<li>Understanding of software development best practices including version control, testing, and CI/CD </li>
<li>Strong analytical mindset and ability to troubleshoot complex data issues </li>
<li>Effective communication skills and ability to collaborate across distributed engineering teams </li>
<li>Ability to participate in operational support rotations during critical incidents </li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Data Preferred Qualifications </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Experience supporting data science or machine learning workflows, including feature engineering pipelines </li>
<li>Familiarity with Delta Lake, Lakehouse architectures, or large-scale telemetry data processing </li>
<li>Exposure to streaming data systems such as Kafka or Spark Structured Streaming </li>
<li>Experience with workflow orchestration tools such as Airflow or Databricks Workflows </li>
<li>Background in orbital mechanics, aerospace, physics, or applied mathematics </li>
<li>Experience building analytics datasets or semantic models for BI tools </li>
<li>Active U.S. security clearance or ability to obtain one </li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Within 1 Month, You’ll </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Complete onboarding to gain familiarity with LeoLabs’ mission, products, and data platform </li>
<li>Successfully configure development environments, tooling, and data access </li>
<li>Participate in team ceremonies and begin ramping up on existing data pipelines and platform services </li>
<li>Deliver initial low-risk improvements such as pipeline enhancements, monitoring updates, or documentation contributions </li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Within 3 Months, You’ll </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Develop working knowledge of LeoLabs’ data architecture, ingestion systems, and Databricks workflows </li>
<li>Contribute to building and maintaining small-to-medium data pipeline features </li>
<li>Collaborate with data scientists and product stakeholders to support analytics and modeling initiatives </li>
<li>Improve pipeline reliability, performance, and observability </li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Within 6 Months, You’ll </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Demonstrate solid understanding of platform architecture and operational practices </li>
<li>Independently deliver well-tested and scalable data workflows </li>
<li>Take ownership of defined datasets or pipeline components </li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Within 12 Months, You’ll </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Demonstrate proficiency across LeoLabs’ data engineering stack and cloud data platform </li>
<li>Deliver pipeline enhancements end-to-end with minimal oversight </li>
<li>Contribute to architecture discussions and platform roadmap planning </li>
<li>Identify opportunities to improve data quality, scalability, and mission impact </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Perks and Benefits</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Global workforce: flexible remote/hybrid opportunities</li>
<li>Work on complex, meaningful missions with real-world impact</li>
<li>Unlimited paid time off for most roles</li>
<li>Competitive salary and equity packages</li>
<li>Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage</li>
<li>Access to the forefront of commercial space operations and defense innovation</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. </p>