Software Engineer – New College Graduate

Siftstack
Marina Del Rey, CA
Hybrid

Who this role is best for

Best suited to recent STEM graduates with a collaborative mindset working in mission-critical systems.

Best fit for

  • Recent STEM graduates eager to build scalable systems in a startup environment
    — “As a New College Graduate Software Engineer, you’ll join a small, fast-moving team building foundational systems for the future of engineering”
  • Individuals open to shaping engineering culture and processes in early-stage startups
    — “Help shape engineering culture, standards, and processes at an early-stage startup”

Things to consider

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident due to ITAR/EAR compliance
    — “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.”
  • Limited remote flexibility due to in-person collaboration requirements twice weekly
    — “We collaborate in person twice a week—on Mondays and Thursdays”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with data tools and real-time systems in your resume and interview responses
    — “Eagerness to learn large-scale distributed systems and real-time data platforms”
  • Showcase collaborative projects or coursework that demonstrate teamwork and communication
    — “Collaborative mindset and strong communication skills”
  • Mention any hands-on experience with frontend frameworks like React or TypeScript
    — “Exposure to frontend frameworks (React, TypeScript)”
  • Emphasize your ability to work in ambiguous environments with examples from your academic or project work
    — “Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment”
  • Demonstrate understanding of DevOps practices and tools such as Git, CI/CD, or Kubernetes
    — “Experience with DevOps practices (Git, CI/CD, testing, monitoring)”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

Skills & requirements

Required

ReactAWS

Stack & domain

Data StructuresAlgorithmsData AnalysisDistributed SystemsDevOpsFrontend DevelopmentBackend DevelopmentStreaming ToolsData ToolsDatabasesFrontend FrameworksDevops PracticesWeb FrontendBackendEchartsGoGrpcPostgreSQLProtobufRadixReactReduxTypeScriptArrowDatafusionFlinkParquetRustArgo CDAWSDockerGithub ActionsGrafanaKubernetesKustomizeLinuxPrometheusTerragruntCollaborative MindsetStrong Communication SkillsAbility To Thrive In A Fast-paced, Ambiguous EnvironmentEngineeringData ProcessingVisualizationSensor DataFrontend

About the role

Original posting from Siftstack via Ashby

At Sift, we’re redefining how modern machines are built, tested, and operated. Our platform gives engineers real-time observability into high-frequency telemetry—eliminating bottlenecks and enabling faster, more reliable development.

Sift was born from our work at SpaceX on Dragon, Falcon, Starlink, and Starship—where scaling telemetry, debugging flight systems, and ensuring mission reliability demanded new infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Google, and Palantir, Sift is built for mission-critical systems where precision and scalability are non-negotiable.

As a New College Graduate Software Engineer, you’ll join a small, fast-moving team building foundational systems for the future of engineering. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from experienced engineers, contribute to production code, and help design scalable solutions from the ground up.

IN THIS ROLE, YOU’LL

  • Contribute to the design and development of high-performance, scalable systems for data processing and visualization
  • Build features for engineers to explore and act on millions of sensor data points
  • Work closely with senior engineers in code reviews, design discussions, and product planning
  • Learn best practices in distributed systems, DevOps, and frontend/backend development
  • Help shape engineering culture, standards, and processes at an early-stage startup

THE SKILLSET YOU’LL BRING

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, Physics, or another STEM discipline
  • Strong coursework or project experience in data structures, algorithms, or data analysis
  • Eagerness to learn large-scale distributed systems and real-time data platforms
  • Collaborative mindset and strong communication skills
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment

BONUS POINTS

  • Experience with streaming or data tools (Kafka, Flink, Spark, Beam)
  • Familiarity with databases (PostgreSQL, Timescale, Druid, or similar)
  • Exposure to frontend frameworks (React, TypeScript)
  • Experience with DevOps practices (Git, CI/CD, testing, monitoring)

Engineering At Sift:

You'll have the opportunity to help evolve and scale our platform because we're still in the early stages of building the product. Relevant technologies include:

  • Web frontend & backend: ECharts, Go, gRPC, PostgreSQL, Protobuf, Radix, React, Redux, and TypeScript
  • Data: Arrow, DataFusion, Flink, Parquet, and Rust
  • Infrastructure: Argo CD, AWS, Docker, GitHub Actions, Grafana, Kubernetes, Kustomize, Linux, Prometheus, and Terragrunt

Location:

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.

Salary range: $100,000 - $140,000 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.

Source: Siftstack careers (Ashby)

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