Astronomer

Staff Software Engineer, Observability

Astronomer$275K — $377K *
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on distributed systems
  • Proficiency in Golang, Python, Kubernetes, SQL/OLAP databases, and Kafka
  • Experience in designing and scaling production-level infrastructure
  • Strong communication skills for cross-team collaboration
  • Ability to deliver customer-centric technical solutions
  • Passion for fostering an inclusive engineering culture

Responsibilities

  • Lead design and architecture of major platform components
  • Develop scalable and reliable features for data visibility
  • Collaborate with product and engineering teams for high-impact initiatives
  • Write maintainable code while ensuring best practices
  • Champion engineering standards and operational excellence
  • Enhance tooling and processes for the observability platform
  • Coordinate responses to production incidents for quick resolution
  • Identify and address technical opportunities and risks
  • Mentor engineers through design reviews and feedback

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits package
  • Equity component as part of compensation
  • Hybrid work flexibility
Full Job Description

About this role:

At Astronomer, our R&D organization is dedicated to providing an exceptional experience in operating data orchestration based on Apache Airflow at many of the world's largest companies. As we continue to grow, we are looking to solve highly complex technology problems through inventive algorithms and world-class practices around scale.

We are building out a world-class Observability team to deliver data observability capabilities that provide our customers visibility, reliability, and actionable insights into their data pipelines and products across some of the world's largest enterprises.

We are seeking an experienced Staff Software Engineer to join this effort. In this role, you will contribute directly to the design, development, and scaling of Astronomer's observability platform, collaborating closely with product, design, and cross-functional engineering teams. Your work will have a direct impact on our customers and the future of the platform.

What you get to do:
  • Lead the end-to-end architecture and evolution of major platform components, making foundational design decisions that will shape the long-term direction of the observability platform.
  • Build scalable, reliable, and performant features that provide visibility into customer data pipelines.
  • Collaborate closely with product, design, and engineering teams to define and deliver high-impact initiatives.
  • Write high-quality, maintainable code while following best practices in testing, CI/CD, and operational excellence.
  • Set and champion engineering standards for code quality, testing, design, and operational excellence across the team.
  • Help improve and evolve the observability platform's tooling, infrastructure, and processes.
  • Lead and coordinate responses to complex production incidents, guiding the team towards rapid resolution and long-term improvements.
  • Proactively identify technical opportunities, risks, and gaps - and drive initiatives to address them.
  • Mentor engineers of all levels through design reviews, pairing, and feedback, and contribute to the professional growth of the team.


What you bring to the role:
  • Strong technical experience building complex distributed systems, preferably with Golang, Python, Kubernetes, SQL/OLAP databases, Kafka, and stream processing.
  • Hands-on experience designing, developing, and scaling production infrastructure.
  • Excellent collaboration and communication skills to work effectively across teams.
  • Focus on delivering customer value through thoughtful technical solutions.
  • Enthusiasm for contributing to a healthy, inclusive engineering culture and supporting the growth of teammates.
  • Comfort working in areas of high ambiguity, able to break down open-ended problems and drive them to completion with clarity and structure.

Bonus points if you have:
  • Experience building or scaling data observability products.
  • Familiarity with Apache Airflow or similar workflow orchestrators.
  • Background in observability, monitoring, or infrastructure at scale (e.g., Datadog, Honeycomb, or similar).
  • Experience working with product teams directly

The estimated salary for this role ranges from $275,000 - $377,000 based on leveling and geography, along with an equity component and a comprehensive benefits package. This range is merely an estimate; actual compensation may deviate from this range based on skills, experience, and qualifications.

#LI-Fulltime

#LI-Hybrid

About Astronomer

Astronomer is a software company that provides a platform for data engineering, integration, and management. The company was founded in 2015 by Ry Walker and Tim Brunk, and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Astronomer's platform allows businesses to collect, process, and analyze data from various sources, including cloud applications, databases, and APIs. The company's customers include Fortune 500 companies and startups in industries such as healthcare, finance, and e-commerce. Astronomer has raised over $23 million in funding from investors such as 8VC, Aspect Ventures, and Sierra Ventures.
Learn more about Astronomer
Size
50 employees
Industry
Founded
2014

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