Senior Technical Architect, Data Engineering

Meet Slingshot At Slingshot Aerospace, we're on a mission to make space safer and more secure for everyone. Our work directly impacts global security, disaster response, climate monitoring, and the critical infrastructure that connects our world. We're a team of builders, thinkers, and problem-solvers who believe that the next generation of space operations will be powered by better data and smarter software. We move fast, we're not afraid to fail, and we believe the best ideas can come from anywhere—whether you're in engineering, sales, product, or operations. If you want to work on something that truly matters, with people who care deeply about the impact we're making and help shape the future of an industry that's just getting started, you're in the right place. What You'll Be Launching Seeking a Technical Architect to lead the design and implementation of secure, scalable, and high‑performance data processing platforms. This role (Washington DC–Baltimore area) requires deep expertise in Python, FastAPI, distributed event‑driven architectures, MongoDB, and at least one in‑memory data store such as Redis. The architect will own system design, standards, and production‑grade delivery across ingestion, transformation, streaming, and service layers while enforcing Secure SDLC practices. Much of the work is remote however some onsite visits will be required within the DC area to a SCIF. Ideal candidates live in the DC-Baltimore area and have an Active Top Security Clearance with SCI Eligibility. About the Team This is a net-new opportunity to join a small senior team building scalable Python/FastAPI microservices, streaming pipelines, and AI-enabled workflows using technologies like Kafka, MongoDB, Redis, Kubernetes, and AWS GovCloud. The role offers direct influence over architecture, engineering standards, and platform strategy in a highly secure, high-impact environment. Experience with distributed systems, RAG pipelines, and modern cloud-native development is strongly preferred. Your Mission (Should you choose to accept it) Architect and implement Python‑based ETL frameworks, orchestration layers, and high‑throughput data pipelines. Design and optimize real‑time event‑driven streaming systems using Kafka and/or RabbitMQ. Build and scale FastAPI‑based microservices with strong focus on performance, security, and observability. Lead MongoDB data modeling, indexing strategies, aggregation pipelines, and performance tuning. Architect caching, session management, and high‑speed data access layers using Redis or similar memory‑based databases. Apply Secure SDLC principles across architecture, coding, CI/CD, and deployment workflows. Lead architecture reviews and define engineering standards for distributed systems. Diagnose and resolve complex system, data, and performance issues in production environments. Drive containerization, Kubernetes‑native deployment patterns, and AWS cloud integration. Pre-flight Checklist Expert‑level Python experience across ETL systems, microservices, and distributed data processing. Strong FastAPI design and implementation experience. Deep, production-level experience with Kafka and/or RabbitMQ. Mandatory MongoDB expertise: schema design, indexing, aggregation, sharding/replication. Experience with at least one memory‑based database (Redis strongly preferred). Strong Linux proficiency and experience with Docker/Kubernetes. Demonstrated ability to debug complex distributed or high‑scale systems. Implement Agentic AI workflows using LangChain and Crew AI. Hands‑on AWS experience across compute, data, networking, and security services. Proven application of Secure SDLC principles and secure architecture patterns. Bachelor’s or advanced degree in CS, Engineering, or related field. Bonus Cargo Space industry data familiarity is a plus. Current and Active Top Security Clearance with SCI Eligibility strongly preferred Location: Washington DC-Baltimore Area* * Much of the work is remote however some onsite visits will be required within the DC area to a SCIF. Ideal candidates live in the DC-Baltimore area. Compensation: $175k - 250k, Equity and Benefits US-based Candidates: we are currently only able to hire residents of the following U.S. states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV We are unable to consider candidates residing in other U.S. states at this time. Internationally-based Candidates: we are currently only able to hire residents of the following locations: United Kingdom. We are unable to consider candidates residing in other countries at this time. Equity, Diversity & Inclusion are key to our success. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, who share a passion for creating a safer, more connected world. Diversity not only includes race and gender identity, but also national origin, citizenship, sex, color, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic that is part of one’s identity. All of our employees’ points of view are key to our success, and we embrace individuality.