Software Engineer 2
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent work experience in lieu of the degree is required.
- Typically, at least 2 years of related experience is required.
- A strong understanding of at least one programming language and general knowledge of other programming languages is required.
- A strong understanding of software development principles is required.
- The ability to design, code, test, and debug complex software applications is required.
- Experience with software development methodologies such as Agile and Scrum/Kanban is required.
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team is required.
- The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance is required.
- U.S. citizenship is required because the position needs an active U.S. security clearance for employment.
- Design, develop, and test software applications for space systems and technologies.
- Write clean, maintainable code that follows best practices and coding standards.
- Collaborate with team members to understand project requirements and contribute to developing software solutions.
- Use version control systems such as Git to manage code changes and work effectively with team members.
- Participate in code reviews to ensure code quality and adherence to development standards.
- Troubleshoot and resolve software-related issues in a timely manner.
- Document software designs, configurations, processes, and procedures for future reference.
- Stay current with industry trends and advancements in software development and space technologies.
- Work independently and as part of a team to deliver high-quality software solutions.
- Proficiency in Python and React.
- Experience with Python FastAPI.
- Experience with Kubernetes, Helm, and ArgoCD for application deployments.
- Experience with code coverage testing and writing unit tests.
- Experience with Agile or Scrum/Kanban methodologies and tools such as JIRA and Confluence.
- Familiarity with scripting languages such as Bash and PowerShell, and automation tools such as Ansible.
- Strong analytical skills, performance profiling, and debugging complex systems.
- Experience with collaborative tools such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, and development ceremonies including daily standups, backlog grooming, work planning, task estimation, and retrospectives.
- Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS and cloud-native development.
- Familiarity with containerization using Docker and orchestration using Kubernetes.
- Understanding of network protocols, security principles, and secure coding practices.
- Ability to write and maintain technical documentation.
- Strong problem-solving skills and experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated testing.
- Experience with continuous integration and automated testing.
- Knowledge of and experience implementing software design patterns.
- Knowledge of database management systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.
- An active Top Secret U.S. security clearance is preferred.
About the company
Sierra Space provides a space-as-a-service platform in low-Earth orbit with three main divisions: Transportation (Dream Chaser spaceplane), Destinations (LIFE inflatable habitat), and Applications (satellite buses such as Velocity, Horizon, and Titan) for government and commercial customers, including NASA and the DoD. Dream Chaser is a reusable lifting-body spaceplane that carries cargo (and future crew), launches with a detachable Shooting Star module, and can land on conventional runways for rapid cargo access. The LIFE habitat is an inflatable, three-story module that can operate in LEO, on the Moon, or for Mars missions and feeds into the Orbital Reef commercial space station concept with Blue Origin. The company aims to enable a growing LEO economy by delivering integrated space infrastructure and services—transportation, habitats, and satellite platforms—for government missions, commercial activity, and secure national space capabilities.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Series C
Total Funding
$2.3B
Headquarters
Louisville, Colorado
Founded
2021
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Sierra Space closed a $550 million Series C on March 5, 2026, valuing it at $8 billion.
- Jeff Schrader became CFO on June 30, 2026, adding Lockheed Martin Space and Air Force discipline.
- Warren Jenson joined the board on September 23, 2026, strengthening audit and capital oversight.
What critics are saying
- NASA dropped Dream Chaser's ISS obligation in 2025, killing guaranteed resupply revenue.
- Dream Chaser's first flight slipped repeatedly since 2022, and launch remains TBD in September 2026.
- Vulcan backlog and booster problems at ULA threaten Tenacity's late-2026 launch window.
What makes Sierra Space unique
- Dream Chaser is the only runway-landing commercial spaceplane with <1.5g cargo return, September 2026.
- Sierra Space won $798 million on July 13, 2026 for 18 Golden Dome tracking satellites.
- The September 2, 2026 inaugural flight manifest mixes national security, commercial, and NASA payloads.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
-1%1 year growth
-3%2 year growth
-1%Space companies are snapping up factories and campuses on Earth as investment in the sector surges. Firms such as Varda Space Industries, Sierra Space and Astranis raised $11.3B in venture capital in the first half of the year, and global private venture investment in space is expected to hit a record $100B this year. Demand is most intense in South Bay, Los Angeles. Varda leased a 205,000 SF former Mattel factory in El Segundo in March, and JLL's Mac Burridge is tracking 5M SF of advanced manufacturing demand there. New spaces can take up to 24 months to get enough power. Florida and Texas are also seeing new projects. Blue Origin announced a 1.3M SF, $550M satellite manufacturing campus in Hutto, Texas, promising 2,000 jobs. The US Department of Transportation expects 10,000 annual launches and reentries by 2035, up from 250 in 2025.
People moves: Rithm Capital brings in Ann DeVries as head of IR and Ati Modak joins MasTec. September 24, 2026 Plus changes in the IR teams at PPG, Suja Life and more. Alternative asset manager Rithm Capital has appointed Ann DeVries as its new head of investor relations. She joins the NYSE-listed firm with 25 years of IR and strategic finance experience, most recently serving as head of strategic finance and investor relations at Banc of California. Prior to that, she was head of IR at Bakkt, where she built the financial technology firm's IR function from the ground up during its first years as a publicly traded company. Earlier in her career, DeVries spent 16 years at JPMorgan Chase, serving in a variety of senior roles across investment banking, corporate finance and investor relations. 'Ann's appointment reflects the continued momentum of its integrated platform and the growing interest IR Impact is seeing from shareholders and third-party investors in understanding how its asset management business and operating companies work together,' says Michael Nierenberg, Rithm's CEO. 'I am thrilled to join Rithm at this exciting inflection point. The firm's fast-growing asset management business, combined with its scaled operating companies, sets it apart from other alternative managers,' adds DeVries. Meanwhile, Coral Gables, Florida-based infrastructure firm MasTec has brought in Ati Modak as its new vice president of investor relations. He joins from Goldman Sachs, where he served as vice president, equity research, energy services, covering companies across the traditional and new energy sectors. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 2019, he worked at Citi. José Mas, MasTec's CEO, says: 'We are pleased to welcome Ati to the MasTec family. He brings a unique combination of deep knowledge of the infrastructure services sector, familiarity with the companies and markets in which we compete and a broad perspective on the trends shaping our industry.' Over in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, specialty paint maker PPG has promoted Alex Lopez to the role of vice president, investor relations and operational finance. Lopez has held a variety of finance roles of increasing responsibility during his 20 years with PPG, most recently as director, investor relations. In this expanded role, Lopez will continue to lead investor relations while assuming responsibility for enterprise operational finance. Prior to joining PPG, he held financial planning and liaison roles for GE Appliances and its joint venture Mabe as part of their financial management program. In Oceanside, California, beverage maker Suja Life has brought in Michael Mougias as its new head of IR and public relations. Mougias brings more than 15 years of capital markets and public company experience spanning investor relations, financial planning and analysis, corporate development and strategic communications. He joins Suja after working at BARK as vice president of IR and FP&A, prior to which he held senior IR and finance roles at tZero and IMAX Corporation. 'Mike brings deep public company experience and a strong understanding of the capital markets at an important point in Suja Life's evolution,' says Maria Stipp, Suja Life's CEO. 'As IR Impact continue to establish Suja Life in the public markets, his experience will be valuable in deepening its engagement with shareholders, sharpening how IR Impact communicate its strategy and building greater awareness of Suja's long-term growth strategy.' Finally, several more moves were announced on LinkedIn this week: Jason Gursky has joined Sierra Space as vice president, investor relations; Christian D'Souza will head up the IR team at Chipotle Mexican Grill; Zack Kubow has joined Corvus Pharmaceuticals as vice president, investor relations and corporate communications; David Barma has moved to NN Group as its new head of investor relations; Alexander Valentine has joined Jefferies as vice president of investor relations; Edison Nguyen has started a new role as manager, investor relations at Torex Gold Resources; and Brenda Dayton has joined Andean Precious Metals as its vice president, investor relations. Open IR positions Each week, IR Impact will post a selection of IR jobs from around the internet that are currently recruiting. If you have an open position in your IR team that you'd like IR Impact to feature here, please let IR Impact know at [email protected] North America * Anja Siehler is hiring a senior investor relations manager at German firm Nordex Group. * German firm Mercor wants a new investor relations specialist. * In Italy, Campari Group is searching for a group investor relations intern. * Dutch firm ASM wants a manager, investor relations. * Finnair is hiring a manager, investor relations.
Sierra Space has appointed Warren Jenson to its board of directors, where he will chair the audit committee. Jenson brings over 30 years of financial and operational leadership experience from companies including Amazon, Electronic Arts, Delta Air Lines, and NBC. He currently serves as chief financial officer of Polymarket and previously held president and CFO roles at Nielsen and LiveRamp. Jenson also serves on the boards of DigitalOcean, Ripple, and Dropbox, chairing audit committees at DigitalOcean and Dropbox. Sierra Space, a defence-tech space company headquartered in Colorado, designs and manufactures satellites, space transportation vehicles, and space subsystems. The company has supported over 500 missions across its three-decade history, serving national security, civil, and commercial customers.
Sierra Space has secured contracts with undisclosed national security and commercial customers to carry payloads on Dream Chaser's inaugural flight. The reusable spaceplane will serve national security, commercial, and civil customers through NASA's Cargo Resupply Services programme on a single mission. Dream Chaser is the only commercial spaceplane capable of returning cargo from orbit at less than 1.5g and landing on any 737-capable runway. Its unique pressurized volume and controlled runway return allow customers to fly hardware with partial space certification rather than full environmental qualification, reducing development costs. The spacecraft will launch from Kennedy Space Center, conduct multiday orbital operations, and land at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Sierra Space is finalising the manifest with defence, civil, and commercial payloads for the mission.
Sierra Space has selected Leidos to provide infrared sensing payloads for 18 missile warning and tracking satellites as part of the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 (AMDT3) Tracking Layer programme. The satellites will detect and track hypersonic and other advanced missile threats from low Earth orbit. Leidos' payloads combine infrared sensing with onboard digital signal processing, enabling mission-relevant tracking data to be generated directly aboard the satellite. The company will also provide ground support equipment and operations support throughout the programme. The award extends Leidos' contributions across Space Development Agency tranches 0, 1, and 2. The company's four Tranche 0 payloads have operated successfully since 2023, and it is delivering 14 sensors for Tranche 1 and 16 for Tranche 2.