Principal Software Engineer

Satellite imagery is a historically-scarce resource, whose adoption has been slowed by an unbalanced relationship between price and resolution. In theory, frequent, ultra high-resolution imagery of Earth has near infinite applications; in reality, only a sliver of that potential has been realized.

Albedo aims to be the catalyst in unlocking satellite imagery’s latent potential, hoping to expand current applications and propel the discovery of new use cases. Whether our imagery is being used to reduce wildfire risk, assess the environmental impact of global forestry, contribute to timely 3D reconstructions of urban areas, or monitor carbon emissions from industrial power plants, our mission is to get better data into the hands of decision makers fast. We’re modernizing how satellite imagery is used by providing near real-time access to our ultra-high resolution data.

What We’re Up To:  Albedo is developing a novel approach to the earth observation industry, both in space and with our business model. We are intentionally doing things differently by taking (calculated) risks, trying new things, and moving with speed. Our team believes satellite imagery is a valuable resource that should be made accessible, in every sense of the word. We are committed to our customers, ensuring that what we’re building is what they want. We are playing at the edges of how traditional New Space technologies have been approached, and we want to shake up the industry as it stands today.

Who We’re Looking For:  Albedo is launching next-generation, ultra high-resolution imaging satellites to service a global audience through a modern, cloud-based product interface. In order to achieve this goal, we are looking for a team of people who are both passionate about our mission and are willing to put in the work to design, develop, and test an innovative earth observation concept in the commercial industry. The times ahead will be set in a fast-paced, often uncertain environment, but if you are hard-working, kind, and team-oriented, you can expect a rewarding and purposeful experience.

Albedo is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join our ground software team. You are a cross-team, multi-purpose software engineer that can work gracefully and efficiently across all areas of the ground system, learn quickly from our domain experts to increase team velocity and output, and fill in gaps as needed. Most importantly, you are a supportive, emotionally strong leader with excellent communication skills to inspire and push the rest of the team towards collective success.

What You'll Bring

• 10+ years of object-oriented software development experience in production environments
• Experience building highly scalable solutions on cloud-based platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP (AWS preferred)
• Experience building intuitive and powerful APIs - REST, GraphQL
• Knowledge of best practices concerning: cloud and application security, server-less infrastructures, test-driven development, CI/CD, observability, incident tracking, and release management.
• Experience with improving efficiency and quality of technical implementation across multiple teams in an organization
• Excellent communication of technical design tradeoffs and their impact to the business

What You'll Do

• Build and test software that encapsulates the entire order lifecycle, including tasking feasibility estimation, order optimization, mission scheduling, command and telemetry pipelining, and general spacecraft mission operations
• Develop internal systems to continuously monitor order status, order fulfillment efficiency, and detect performance issues
• Dive into large scale digital image processing problems and help Albedo deliver our products faster and with industry-redefining quality
• Detect, troubleshoot, and support application and infrastructure issues  
• Work with multiple technical teams to evaluate existing designs, introduce new technologies, and constantly improve Albedo’s ability to efficiently deliver awesome high quality software
• Work with the sales team to interact and collect feedback from customers to continuously improve the customer experience
• Collaborate closely with the product team on API features for ordering and delivery as well as with the space team to support internal requirements
• Help inform product strategy by helping define and actively participating in an agile development process and ensuring that delivery metrics are clearly communicated and understood
• Learn a ton about space, satellites, and how to build amazing software systems to support them!

What We Believe Are Important Traits For This Role

• Strong communication skills and the ability to effectively pass on and share your knowledge with others
• Flexibility: We are a small-team doing a lot of things - a flexible and positive mindset is instrumental for success!
• A humble and open mind: willingness to accept feedback and consistently improve upon yourself and the product you will be responsible for
• A high-degree of emotional intelligence: ability to collaborate closely with coworkers in a respectful and empathetic manner
• Belief in the value of diversity: active appreciation of each person’s unique perspective and realization that diversity produces better outcomes
• Alignment and willingness to champion Albedo's Core Values

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual Salary: $185,000 - $200,000
• Employee friendly equity compensation
• Remote-first, asynchronous culture with flexible working hours
• 4% direct matching 401k
• Insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental, Mental Health
• Parental leave and childcare coverage
• Relocation bonus for moving to our Denver, CO HQ
• 20 paid vacation days, yours from day one
• 10 company holidays and unlimited sick days
• $100 monthly wellness benefit
• Team retreats to build relationships in-person

Additional Requirements: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. All persons hired will be required to be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Albedo is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Questions? Feedback? Feel free to email us at careers @ albedo.com