Senior Software Engineer - FlightAware Backend (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-05-20

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-TX-HOUSTON-011 ~ 11 Greenway Plz ~ GREENWAY, Ste 2900

Position Role Type:

Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:

This job requires a U.S. Person. A U.S. Person is a lawful permanent resident as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20) or who is a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. permanent residents, or individuals granted refugee or asylee status in the U.S. are considered U.S. persons. For a complete definition of “U.S. Person” go here. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/chapter-I/subchapter-M/part-120/subpart-C/section-120.62

Security Clearance Type:

None/Not Required

Security Clearance Status:

Not Required

Are you interested in engineering backend software for numerous web-based products that generate billions of views for industry partners and consumers? 

FlightAware has built the world's leading aviation software platform, processing over 180+ million incoming messages an hour from over 34,000 individual data feeds—5 terabytes a day and growing! We provide the best, most complete, and most accurate real-time flight-tracking service and are proud to have built a wide variety of successful products on this foundation that have become central to the aviation industry at large.

FlightAware's Backend crew builds state-of-the-art systems that power the FlightAware website and mobile apps used by millions of people. The Backend crew is at the heart of FlightAware’s SaaS integration. The Backend wing is responsible to maintain a single source of truth for each flight tracked by FlightAware. All of the communication about a flight that starts days before its departure through its ultimate arrival are coordinated by the Backend systems. These systems range from data feeds that track aircraft, airport and gates to systems which dispatch live flight updates to web and mobile maps or the alerts you receive when an aircraft is delayed. Additionally, the Backend crew develops interfaces for product account self-service and SaaS account integration with subscription management, billing and accounting services.

As a FlightAware software engineer, you’ll be part of a highly collaborative, ambitious, and future-reaching organization. We attract engineers with a passion for aviation and data. Our team champions intellectual curiosity, openness, and industry-leading technical innovation. We invest in building excellent internal tooling and engineering support in order to create a productive and highly effective team that anticipates the future and leads by example. You’ll get to learn alongside talented senior engineers and share your own expertise.

Regardless of role, we expect excellent interpersonal and communication skills across all hires at FlightAware. We look for candidates who will thrive here, meaning they demonstrate clear communication, embrace open feedback, trust their colleagues, and are driven to execute, deliver, and complete projects independently and efficiently.

What You Will Do:

• You will contribute to building new features from scratch and bring them all the way to production.
• You Will contribute to building and scaling out FlightAware’s backend infrastructure that encompasses our streaming data feeds, databases, queueing systems, compute infrastructure, and analysis engines.
• Work to ensure customers have a seamless self-service account management experience, extending integration with subscription, billing information and accounting management systems.
• Work to ensure that customers' access to services are secure and correctly provisioned according to the products they have purchased.
• You will work together with teams across FlightAware to deliver cloud native microservices that power our website, mobile apps, data reporting, and more.
• You will write high-quality, well-tested code to meet the needs of your customers—some of the largest airlines and airports in the world.

What You Will Learn:

• You will develop your technical acumen by working with cutting edge, in-demand technologies including Go, Rust, Python, Kubernetes, AWS, and more.
• You will learn and apply cloud native approaches to developing and delivering software.
• You will learn how to expand your impact as an engineer through activities such as mentoring junior engineers and becoming a go-to person in an area of expertise.
• You will Grow in application of best practices to complete your tasks and taking initiative to provide feedback that helps improve others' work.
• You will work on a diverse team and have an opportunity to work on a variety of projects that broaden your exposure to new technologies.
• You will Learn how to navigate and embrace change, overcome challenges, and continuously improve your processes and practices.

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 5 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 3 years of experience
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship now or in the future. RTX will not offer sponsorship for this position.
• Experience as a Software Engineer using languages and technologies such as Go, Rust, C++, PostgreSQL, MySQL or similar.
• Understand why a clear (API) contract is important in software engineering.

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Participated in a collaborative environment using practices such as pair programming, Agile standups and retrospectives, peer code review, etc.
• Experience with cloud technologies and platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Kubernetes.
• Experience supporting microservice architectural paradigms such as service meshes, API contracts, message/event queues, asynchronous workflows, and graphql interfaces.
• Experience with large-scale SaaS systems using data storage and caching technologies such as PostgreSQL (or other SQL) databases, PostGIS, TimescaleDB, Redis, Dragonfly or similar.
• Integration experience with advertising networks, billing, or accounting systems.
• Knowledge of cloud native tools like Flux, Open Telemetry, Prometheus, Grafana, Terraform, or similar.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and secure software design.
• A track record of acquiring new skills, proactively solving problems, applying new technology in the workplace and openness to new approaches.
• You are a private pilot, you are looking to pursue your private pilot license, or have a passion for aviation.

What We Offer:

Some of our competitive benefits package includes:   

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance  

• Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees  

• Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option  

• Tuition reimbursement program 

• Student Loan Repayment Program  

• Life insurance and disability coverage  

• Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection 

• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits 

• Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning  

• Adoption Assistance           

• Autism Benefit  

• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions  

• Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program 

• Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits  

• Bright Horizons, child and elder care services 

• Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program  

•  And more!  

Avionics: 

Avionics delivers advanced cockpit displays, vision systems, and comprehensive digital solutions for global government, commercial and business aviation customers. We provide connectivity and managed data services to ensure safety and seamless communication for passengers, crews, and militaries, from aircraft and airports to air traffic management. Join us in creating solutions that connect the world, one flight at a time. Start your application today.

Please ensure the role type (defined below) is appropriate for your needs before applying to this role.

Onsite: Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products. 

At Collins, the paths we pave together lead to limitless possibility. And the bonds we form – with our customers and with each other -- propel us all higher, again and again.  

Apply now and be part of the team that’s redefining aerospace, every day. 

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 86,800 USD - 165,200 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance.

This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.

RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.

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