Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Software and Data Engineer

at Element84

🏢 About Element84

Element 84 is a woman-owned small business specializing in geospatial data processing and Earth science systems, working on meaningful projects that answer big questions about our planet. Their values—investing in each other, reliability, and work that benefits our world—create a culture focused on impact and collaboration. With remote-friendly policies and offices in Alexandria and Philadelphia, they support a diverse, distributed team.

About This Role

This Senior Software and Data Engineer role involves designing and building cloud-based geospatial data processing pipelines for public, private, and non-profit clients. You'll work on challenging technical problems related to remote sensing and Earth science, contributing to projects that have real-world environmental and societal impact. The position is contingent on contract award, so flexibility and readiness to start are key.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start with a standup with your remote team to discuss progress on a geospatial pipeline for a NASA project. You'll then dive into coding—perhaps optimizing a STAC catalog ingestion or debugging a data processing step in AWS Lambda. After lunch, you might review a junior engineer's pull request, then join a brainstorming session on handling new satellite data formats. The day ends with documenting your work and planning the next sprint's tasks.

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🎯 Who Element84 Is Looking For

  • Experienced in cloud-based geospatial data processing, with strong skills in Python and cloud platforms like AWS (e.g., Lambda, S3, Step Functions).
  • Proven ability to build scalable data pipelines and work with remote sensing data (e.g., satellite imagery, raster/vector data).
  • Comfortable with DevOps practices (CI/CD, infrastructure as code) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
  • Collaborative and reliable, with a track record of leading technical initiatives and mentoring junior team members.

📝 Tips for Applying to Element84

1

Highlight specific projects where you built geospatial pipelines or worked with Earth observation data (e.g., Landsat, Sentinel, or custom imagery).

2

Mention any experience with open-source geospatial tools like GDAL, Rasterio, GeoPandas, or STAC.

3

Tailor your resume to emphasize cloud-native architectures and scalable data processing (e.g., serverless, distributed computing).

4

Since the role is contingent on contract award, express flexibility and enthusiasm for starting once the award is confirmed.

5

Research Element 84's past projects (e.g., NASA VEDA, CIRRUS) and mention how your skills align with their mission.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your passion for geospatial data and Earth science, and how your work can contribute to solving environmental challenges.', 'Specific examples of building large-scale data pipelines in the cloud, especially using AWS services.', "Alignment with Element 84's values: reliability, investing in each other, and work that benefits the world.", 'Your ability to lead and collaborate in a remote team environment, with examples of successful remote work.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read about Element 84's work on the NASA VEDA project and the CIRRUS platform.
  • → Understand their use of open-source tools like STAC, and their contributions to the geospatial community.
  • → Review their blog or case studies on cloud-based geospatial processing to see real-world applications.
  • → Look into their remote work culture and how they support distributed teams (e.g., communication tools, async workflows).

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How you would design a geospatial data processing pipeline for satellite imagery using AWS serverless services.
2 Experience with STAC (SpatioTemporal Asset Catalogs) and data cataloging.
3 Approach to handling large-scale raster/vector data and optimizing for performance and cost.
4 How you mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of reliability and investment in others.
5 Scenario-based questions about working on contingent projects and adapting to shifting priorities.
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic application without mentioning geospatial or Earth science experience.
  • Overlooking the contingent nature of the role—failing to address your availability or flexibility.
  • Focusing only on software engineering without showing understanding of data engineering challenges (e.g., data volume, format conversion, metadata).

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Element84!

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