Sift is the data infrastructure platform for hardware engineering teams. Sift turns high-frequency telemetry into engineering insights for mission-critical systems. Teams use Sift to build and operate rockets, satellites, autonomous vehicles, energy systems, defense platforms, and more.
Founded by former SpaceX engineers who built the tools behind Dragon and Starlink, Sift is building the data infrastructure to herald the AI era for physical systems.
Design, build, and operate backend systems that process and store large volumes of real-time telemetry data.
Own features end-to-end, from design to post-launch improvement.
Collaborate with Frontend, Design, and Data teams to ensure features solve real customer problems.
Optimize backend systems for performance, scalability, and reliability.
Contribute to system evolution—migrating services, introducing caches, and improving storage or indexing layers.
Participate in on-call rotations, debugging live issues, and improving observability.
Raise the bar through code reviews, shared patterns, and mentorship.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or another STEM discipline
7+ years of experience in backend or infrastructure roles
Strong understanding of distributed systems fundamentals—state, fault tolerance, recovery.
Experience with Go, Rust, or Python, and strong Linux/networking fundamentals.
Deep knowledge of SQL and operational database experience (indexing, migrations, tuning).
Experience building and scaling APIs (REST, gRPC/Protobuf).
Strong debugging skills and a production-first mindset.
Familiarity with Kubernetes, Prometheus, Argo CD, and other modern infrastructure tools.
Experience with streaming or time-series data systems (Kafka, Flink, TimescaleDB, etc.).
Experience with performance tuning and profiling at query or service layers.
Familiarity with observability tools (Datadog, Grafana).
Background in hardware or telemetry-heavy environments.
You’ll join a tight-knit team of world-class engineers building foundational systems for next-gen machines. Technologies you'll work with may include:
Frontend & Backend: Go, gRPC, PostgreSQL, Protobuf, React, TypeScript
Data Infrastructure: Apache Arrow, DataFusion, Flink, Kafka, Parquet, Rust
Ops & Tooling: AWS, Kubernetes, Docker, GitHub Actions, Prometheus, Argo CD, Grafana, Linux
Sift’s headquarters is in Marina Del Rey, CA (Next to LAX). We collaborate in person twice a week—on Mondays and Thursdays—and come together for a full week every two months. We are open to relocating candidates to LA or working from our San Francisco office for the right candidate.
Salary range: $200,000 - $250,000 per year. Plus equity and benefits.
Eligibility:U.S. Person Required: Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual such as an asylee or refugee in compliance with ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) / EAR (Export Administration Regulations) regulations.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or another STEM discipline
- 7+ years of experience in backend, infrastructure, or data engineering roles
- Hands-on experience with event-time-based stream processing or streaming SQL systems using tools like Apache Flink, Kafka Streams, Beam, or similar
- Proficiency with relational and time-series databases like PostgreSQL, Druid, Pinot, TimescaleDB, or equivalent
- Experience with large-scale distributed systems or low-latency backend services, ideally written in Go, Rust, or Python
- Familiarity with DevOps and cloud infrastructure tools such as Kubernetes, Prometheus, ArgoCD, and Terraform
- Strong communication skills and a collaborative approach to problem-solving
What We Do
Sift is transforming how modern machines are built and operated. Our platform goes beyond traditional monitoring, enabling automated data review that catches unusual conditions in systems too complex for manual checks. This not only enhances reliability but also dramatically speeds up development cycles. At our core, we provide a unified solution for ingesting, storing, and analyzing vast amounts of machine data. By combining powerful data processing with easy-to-use visualizations, we help engineers make sense of enormous amounts of information. From spacecraft to self-driving cars, Sift is the backbone of innovation for companies pushing technology to new limits. Born from the challenges of spaceflight, Sift aims to accelerate technological progress. We believe that by giving engineers better tools to understand and improve their creations, we can unlock a new era of innovation. Our mission goes beyond solving today's engineering problems; we're building the foundation for a future where the most ambitious machines are developed with confidence, run with precision, and constantly improved. We're also tackling related challenges like simplifying regulatory compliance, and improving manufacturing processes. By connecting data from various sources—from sensors to manufacturing records to regulatory requirements—we're empowering a new generation of engineers to build the technologies that will shape our world. Join us in our journey to usher in this new age of reliable, groundbreaking technology. Whether you're launching rockets, developing autonomous systems, or advancing energy and transportation, Sift is your partner in turning vast amounts of data into insights that drive innovation forward.
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