Senior Python Developer Jobs in Santa Barbara, CA

Umbra is an American space technology company delivering advanced systems, from sensors to spacecraft, that empower customers worldwide with unmatched access to critical information from space. Our mission is simple and ambitious: redefine space—for people, systems, and missions in every domain. Umbra’s ecosystem operates through three business units: Remote Sensing (the data), Space Systems (the components), and Mission Solutions (the platforms).Together, our teams develop capabilities that deliver persistent access, resilient performance, and mission-ready solutions, advancing U.S. space leadership while keeping the world safe and informed.

About the Team

Remote Sensing – The Data

Remote Sensing is where Umbra got its start, and our agile Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) constellation remains the most capable on the market. We transform satellite data into real-world, actionable insights that strengthen U.S. national security and intelligence, support disaster response, and advance scientific discovery. Our team delivers data at scale with unmatched quality, persistence, and the speed and responsiveness our partners demand.

If you want to work on cutting-edge space technology that’s redefining what’s possible in remote sensing, you belong here at Umbra.

About the Job
We are actively seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Software Engineer to join our Order & Delivery team who will play a pivotal role as a key contributor to our dynamic public-facing software application and robust API services. In this position, you will work closely alongside product owners and various engineering teams to comprehensively analyze, develop, and maintain the sophisticated software solutions that empower our clients to efficiently task and receive our SAR data products. This collaboration is essential as it ensures that we not only meet but exceed our clients' expectations through high-quality, reliable software development.

Our aim is to hire this position to work in either our Santa Barbara/Goleta, CA office, Arlington, VA office, or Reston, VA office (coming soon).

Key Responsibilities

• Translate product goals into technical plans. Partner with Product and Design to turn customer needs into scoped, testable deliverables with clear acceptance criteria and measurable outcomes.
• Define and refine technical product strategy.
• Work with Architecture, Design, Product and Support teams to build, launch, and maintain new products and product updates.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including operations and platform engineering, to deliver end-to-end solutions.
• Build, test, document and maintain customer-facing APIs and web workflows from order through tasking and delivery.
• Provide ongoing leadership and mentoring for team members, including code reviews, technical coaching, goal setting, and progress tracking.
• Participate in on-call rotations and ensure system uptime and performance goals are met.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience.
• 10+ years of professional experience developing highly available web services with server-side scripting languages, preferably Python.
• 10+ years of experience designing, developing, and testing intuitive and well-documented commercial RESTful APIs and commercial web applications (preferably in NodeJS and React).
• Knowledge of basic Cybersecurity principles and application of relevant security measures in everyday work.
• 2+ years of professional experience developing automated build and test pipelines in a CI/CD lifecycle.
• Demonstrated foundational understanding of software architecture, event-driven microservices, interface design, and automated testing patterns.
• Experience with database-backed applications and relational database concepts, preferably Postgres.
• Working knowledge of version control (such as Git), cloud infrastructure and security (AWS preferred), IAC (such as OpenTofu/Terraform), containers (Kubernetes/Docker preferred), and CI/CD.
• One or more of the Desired Qualifications.

Desired Qualifications

• 15+ years of professional experience developing highly available web services with server-side scripting languages, preferably Python.
• Experience working with Product Teams or directly with customers in order to shape and prioritize a technical/development roadmap.
• A fundamental understanding of UI/UX design principles.
• Experience working in the space industry.
• Experience building custom GIS applications, STAC, or other imagery catalog APIs.
• Good communication skills, ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, and willingness to learn new skills and technology.

Benefits

• Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
• Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
• 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
• Stock Options
• Free Parking
• Free lunch in office daily

Umbra is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Employment Eligibility Verification

In compliance with federal laws, all hired persons will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) upon hire.

ITAR/EAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable. 

Pay Transparency
This job posting may cover multiple career levels. To ensure greater transparency, we provide base salary ranges for all roles, regardless of location. Our standard pay ranges are based on the role’s function and level, benchmarked against similar growth-stage companies. Compensation may vary based on geographical location, as certain regions may have different cost-of-living factors. The final offer will also be influenced by the candidate's skills, responsibilities, and relevant experience.

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range for this role is $180,000 - $220,000 DOE.