Phd Software Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Voyager is an innovative defense, national security and space technology company committed to advancing and delivering transformative, mission-critical solutions. We tackle the most complex challenges to unlock new frontiers for human progress, fortify national security, and protect critical assets to lead in the race for technological and operational superiority from ground to space.

Forge the Future: Join Voyager Technologies

The future belongs to those who build it. At Voyager Technologies, we’re building technologies that protect lives, expand frontiers and prepare us for what’s next. And we’re doing that with people who are wired to solve, build, adapt and lead. These roles are not for the faint of heart.

You’ll help lay the foundation for humanity\'s future. Join a culture where innovation thrives, curiosity is rewarded, and impact is real. We’re a company of doers, thinkers and builders, united by purpose and grounded in reality.

If you want to put your skills to work where the stakes are real and the mission is bigger than any one person, forge the future with Voyager.

Voyager Technologies is seeking a Software Engineer to join a multidisciplinary team of machine learning engineers, software developers, and algorithm developers developing software for geospatial analytics, with an emphasis on exploitation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery.

TheSoftware Engineer for Voyager Technologiesis responsible for designing and developing software systems that process, manage, and visualize large-scale geospatial datasets to support critical capabilities for U.S. government and other customers.

In this role, the essential functions are:

• Design, implement, and own software systems for processing, managing, and distributing geospatial data, with an emphasis on SAR imagery
• Build scalable data pipelines and backend services supporting geospatial data workflows
• Develop tools and services for geospatial visualization, analysis, and data distribution
• Design and implement database architectures, schemas, and data models supporting geospatial datasets
• Contribute to system architecture decisions, including service design, data pipelines, and software infrastructure
• Integrate geospatial services and APIs into operational software systems
• Collaborate with algorithm developers and data scientists to translate research capabilities into production software
• Participate in code reviews, testing, debugging, performance optimization, and software integration
• Contribute to documentation, configuration management, and software delivery processes

The position is part of the Software Engineering departmentbased in El Segundo, CA. This role is onsite based in El Segundo, CA.

If your experience aligns with our basic qualifications and you are inspired by our mission, we’d like to connect.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance as a condition of continued employment
• BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical field with 5+ years of professional software development experience
  OR
  MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical field with 3+ years of professional software development experience
• Academic background or foundational training in physics, enabling effective bridging of the gap between software engineering and the physical realities of advanced sensing technologies
• Strong programming skills in Python
• Experience developing software in Linux environments
• Experience with modern software development practices including version control, debugging tools, and collaborative development workflows
• Demonstrated track record of independently ideating, proposing, prototyping, and implementing, and fully integrating software solutions that directly improve internal efficiencies, result in new capabilities, and/or otherwise directly impact the bottom line

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field
• Experience developing software for geospatial data processing, remote sensing systems, or large-scale geospatial datasets
• Experience designing and implementing database architectures, schemas, and data models, particularly for geospatial or large-scale datasets (e.g., PostGIS or similar technologies)
• Experience designing scalable software architectures, including distributed systems, service-based systems, or large data processing pipelines
• Experience building and maintaining geospatial services and APIs, including standards such as WMS/WFS or other network-based data services
• Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience deploying applications in cloud environments such as AWS
• Familiarity with geospatial analysis and visualization tools such as QGIS
• Experience developing workflow orchestration or data processing pipelines using tools such as Apache Airflow
• Experience developing or integrating agentic AI frameworks to automate geospatial workflows, autonomous analysis, or complex data processing pipelines
• Familiarity with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to enable secure, standardized connections between AI models and internal geospatial databases, APIs, or operational toolsets

The good faith base salary rangefor this role is$150,000.00 to $200,000.00 at the time of this posting. Where you fall within the range depends on your experience, skills, and location. This range reflects base salary only and does not include benefits or bonus/incentive. This range may be adjusted in the future.

Voyager offers a highly competitive total compensation package designed to support the well-being, growth, and success of our employees. Employees benefit from a flexible and comprehensive rewards program that supports both professional and personal well-being.

• Unlimited Flexible Time Off (FTO), empowering employees to take the time they need to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families, with a significant portion of premiums covered by the company and many benefits paid at 100% for employees
• Flexible, affordable gym memberships with 12,700+ options nationwide including 24 Hour Fitness, EoS Fitness, Crunch Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Blink Fitness, Chuze Fitness and more! No long term contracts and FREE on-demand workout videos before you enroll

• 401(k) retirement plan with a company match of up to 4% to help you build long-term financial security

• Company wellness programs that support physical and mental well-being

• Additional voluntary benefits and employee support resources
• The opportunity to work alongside a highly talented team in an innovative, mission driven environment

Voyager is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), applicants for this position must be a U.S. Person: a US Citizen, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3). Applicants must be eligible to obtain any required export authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.

California pay range

$150,000—$200,000 USD