Job Description
This role focuses on designing, building, and maintaining a mission-critical real-time data gateway that connects remote platforms such as UAVs, ships, and sensors with centralized systems. You will work on ingesting live telemetry, proprietary sensor data, and video streams, transforming and validating that data, and delivering it reliably over unstable networks. The position is ideal for an engineer who enjoys backend development, networking, and streaming data, and wants to deepen their expertise in async Python, video pipelines, and resilient system design while collaborating closely with a lead developer.
Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and maintain a real-time data gateway that ingests telemetry, sensor data, and live video from remote platforms and routes it to centralized data centers.
- Assist in developing a comprehensive real-time HTTPS API for specialized sensor data such as AIS, EPIRB, gas measurements, and automated reporting.
- Support the design and implementation of asynchronous UDP listeners to process standardized metadata formats and proprietary data streams.
- Contribute to refining a video engine using FFmpeg to support compliant H.264 streams with embedded metadata while maintaining low latency.
- Implement standardized self-healing logic, including automated reconnection policies and data transmission frequency controls to ensure reliable data delivery over unstable connections.
- Help build and enhance a web-based dashboard that allows operators to monitor live data streams and configure parameters such as bitrate, resolution, and other stream characteristics in real time.
- Develop service logic for telemetry, flight status, and sensor-specific web services to support mission-critical data flows.
- Assist in collecting test evidence and performing log analysis to validate end-to-end system integration and performance.
- Contribute to preparing the system for acceptance testing by ensuring it meets performance, stability, and data integrity standards.
- Collaborate closely with the lead developer and broader team to integrate new features, troubleshoot issues, and continuously improve system reliability and performance.
- Work with RESTful APIs and asynchronous HTTP clients to integrate external services and implement secure, authenticated data exchanges.
- Participate in documentation and use collaborative tools to capture design decisions, test results, and operational procedures.
- Strong proficiency in Python with experience or interest in concurrent and asynchronous programming, including asyncio.
- Experience building real-time HTTP or HTTPS APIs using frameworks such as FastAPI (preferred), Flask, or Django REST Framework.
- Familiarity with data validation libraries such as Pydantic for defining and enforcing API schemas.
- Understanding of UDP/IP and TCP/IP networking concepts and their application to real-time data systems.
- Experience working with RESTful APIs, including designing endpoints, handling requests and responses, and integrating with backend services.
- Experience with asynchronous HTTP clients such as httpx or aiohttp for non-blocking network communication.
- Knowledge of standard authentication methods, including JWT, for securing API access.
- Experience with or exposure to real-time video pipelines, such as FFmpeg, GStreamer, RTP/RTSP, MPEG-TS, HLS, or H.264.
- Ability to work on backend systems that handle streaming data, low-latency requirements, and intermittent network connections.
- Experience with version control and collaborative documentation tools such as Jira and Confluence.
- Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Experience with FastAPI for building high-performance, real-time APIs.
- Familiarity with backend API development using frameworks such as Flask and Django REST.
- Knowledge of video and streaming technologies including FFmpeg, GStreamer, RTP, RTSP, MPEG-TS, HLS, and H.264.
- Exposure to integrating real-time data or imaging pipelines into backend endpoints.
- Experience with dashboards and operator interfaces for real-time monitoring and configuration, including API-driven UIs and modern frontend frameworks.
- Understanding of networking protocols and technologies such as RTSP, WebRTC, MPEG-TS over UDP, HTTP, MQTT, CoAP, and AMQP.
- Experience with concurrent programming patterns and designing systems for low latency and high reliability.
- Familiarity with telemetry, AIS, EPIRB, gas measurements, KLV, MISB, and other specialized sensor or metadata formats.
- Basic knowledge of geospatial data formats and standards such as GeoJSON and WGS84 for real-time mapping and target annotation.
- Interest in remote sensing, UAV/RPAS technology, or maritime surveillance systems.
- Experience building or contributing to dashboards for real-time system observability and configuration.
- Comfort working with tools and libraries such as httpx, aiohttp, Pydantic, and other components common in modern Python backends.
The role centers on real-time, mission-critical systems where software directly interfaces with live sensor data, video streams, and networked devices operating in real-world environments. You will initially spend significant time on site during early design and integration phases to collaborate closely, understand hardware and platform constraints, and participate in hands-on testing. After the initial phases, the position can transition to a heavily remote or potentially fully remote arrangement, providing flexibility while maintaining strong collaboration with the lead developer and wider team. The work emphasizes backend engineering, networking, and streaming data in environments characterized by low latency requirements, intermittent connectivity, and continuous data flow. You will see your work running in live operational settings, gain exposure to specialized technologies that are not commonly encountered in typical CRUD applications, and contribute to systems that are rigorously tested and validated in real operational conditions.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Bingen, WA.
Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $64.90 - $81.73/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
This is a hybrid position in Bingen,WA.
Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Jun 1, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
Posting ID: JP-006033208
