Senior Technical Architect, Data Engineering

Slingshot Aerospace is on a mission to make space safer and more secure for everyone. They are seeking a Senior Technical Architect to lead the design and implementation of secure, scalable, and high-performance data processing platforms, primarily using Python and FastAPI. The role involves owning system design and production-grade delivery across various data processing layers.

Responsibilities:

• 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

Requirements:

• Deep expertise in Python
• FastAPI
• Distributed event-driven architectures
• MongoDB
• At least one in-memory data store such as Redis
• 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
• Experience with distributed systems, RAG pipelines, and modern cloud-native development is strongly preferred
• Space industry data familiarity is a plus
• Current and Active Top Security Clearance with SCI Eligibility strongly preferred