Backend Engineer

Overview
The Backend Engineer for NASA Mission Cloud supports the design, development, and operation of mission-critical cloud-based systems that enable data processing, analysis, and distribution for spaceflight and scientific missions. This role focuses on building resilient backend services, APIs, and data pipelines that operate in highly secure, scalable, and high-availability environments supporting real-time and near-real-time mission operations.

Key Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain backend services and APIs supporting mission applications in cloud environments
Build and optimize data pipelines for ingesting, processing, and distributing large-scale telemetry and scientific datasets
Collaborate with mission scientists, engineers, and DevOps teams to translate requirements into scalable backend solutions
Deploy and manage services in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP) using infrastructure-as-code practices
Ensure high availability, fault tolerance, and performance of backend systems supporting mission operations
Implement secure coding practices aligned with federal and NASA security standards (e.g., NIST, FedRAMP)
Integrate backend systems with distributed architectures, microservices, and containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes)
Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and perform root cause analysis in production environments
Contribute to CI/CD pipelines to enable automated testing, deployment, and release management
Support real-time and batch processing workflows for mission data systems
Document system architecture, APIs, and operational procedures

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
3–7+ years of backend development experience in production environments
Strong proficiency in backend programming languages (Python, Java, Go, or similar)
Experience building RESTful APIs and microservices architectures
Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
Knowledge of distributed systems, data processing, and scalable architectures
Experience with databases (SQL and/or NoSQL such as PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB)
Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes)
Experience with CI/CD pipelines and version control systems (Git)
Understanding of security best practices in cloud environments

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or scientific research environments
Familiarity with mission operations systems or telemetry data processing
Knowledge of big data technologies (Spark, Kafka, Hadoop)
Experience with serverless architectures (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, etc.)
Understanding of compliance frameworks such as FedRAMP or NIST 800-53
Active or eligible for U.S. security clearance

Core Competencies

Backend Development & API Design
Cloud-Native Architecture
Data Engineering & Processing
DevSecOps & CI/CD
Distributed Systems & Scalability
Problem Solving & Debugging
Collaboration with Scientific/Technical Teams
Documentation & Communication

Benefits

Navteca offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Life and AD&D Insurance
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (STD/LTD)
401(k) Retirement Plan
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Paid Sick Leave
Comp/Flex Time