# Brian Castro > Senior Software Engineer, Senior Backend Engineer, Space API Engineer | Python, Django, Flask, AWS, GCP | Swing Dancer | That Guy You See on the Sidewalk With a Telescope Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/briancastro When I'm not building robust python backends and APIs that communicate with satellites in low Earth orbit, I'm probably standing on Valencia St with a 10" Dobsonian telescope convincing strangers to stop and see the rings of Saturn. I’m a Sr. backend and full-stack software engineer with 8+ years of experience building reliable, data-intensive systems in complex, real-world domains. I’ve worked across product lifecycles at organizations ranging from small startups to Google, with a focus on backend architecture, APIs, and cloud infrastructure. I care about designing systems that are understandable and resilient, and writing code that is efficient and readable. I believe the best software comes from great communication within a development team and close collaboration across engineering, product, and other stakeholders. ACCOMPLISHMENTS At Orbital Sidekick: - Designed and implemented a Django REST Framework API with 50+ endpoints for accessing and tasking hyperspectral satellite imagery, directly supporting ~$1.2M in annual revenue. - Delivered core APIs for a ~$16M U.S. government STRATFI contract, covering imagery opportunity discovery, collection, and retrieval, and presented a live demo to U.S. Space Force stakeholders. - Built and scaled AWS-based file processing pipelines (ECS, Step Functions, S3) handling 100k+ raw satellite images and producing analysis-ready outputs in excess of 2 PB of data. Other Roles: - at Virta Health: Built internal developer tooling to support a company-wide migration from AWS to GCP, deploying services to Kubernetes and improving local development workflows. - at Google: Rebuilt backend systems for Google’s Foobar coding challenge using Python and Django, migrating 100+ challenges and owning APIs for submission, scoring, and user progress. - at Pinterest: Shipped critical internal tools for content moderation using Python and JavaScript ensuring compliance with German regulations under a legally mandated 10-week deadline. In addition to software, I care deeply about science communication, working closely with The Planetary Society and the SF Amateur Astronomers. I love sidewalk astronomy, bringing a telescope around SF and the country to give passersby the chance to stop and look in wonder at the cosmos. I’ve shown upwards of 15k people the cosmos through telescopes so small and large. I’m always happy to connect with engineers, space enthusiasts, or anyone working on interesting things that help make the world a happier and more beautiful place: brian.g.castro@gmail.com ## Work Experience ### Software Engineer - Python, Django, PostgreSQL, AWS, Postman @ Orbital Sidekick Jan 2021 – Present | San Francisco, California, United States - Engineered RESTful API in Python, and Django Rest Framework with 50+ endpoints used for finding and accessing satellite imagery data, and tasking satellites to capture new hyperspectral imagery from the GHOSt satellite constellation, supporting ~$1.2M annually in imagery and data sales. - Led design and development of orbital path calculation API to determine when satellites pass over a specific location using Python, Django Rest Framework, SPG4, and AWS, greatly increasing the accuracy of locations and efficiency of retrieving location data. - Completed US Government (STRATFI) contract valued at ~$16M, developing RESTful API in Python and Django for tracking satellite positions, imagery opportunities, image collection, and retrieval, presenting live demo to US Space Force stakeholders. - Led team design meetings on team of 8 and wrote design docs and for REST API endpoints covering Orders, Statuses, Detections, and Satellite Orbital Path, as well as internal CLI covering Data Search - Developed Tasking and Archive Orders API following NRO/EIDC specifications in Python, Django, PostgreSQL, and AWS, and enabled acquisition of new imagery-as-a-service, as part of CSPO $1.3M government contract. - Updated File Delivery Pipeline to process >100k raw hyperspectral images from satellites and output georectified .hsi files with ENVI headers, running on AWS (ECS, Step Functions, S3). - Designed and built Capture API for indexing over 100k images, and searching and retrieving those images, filtering images by location, date, cloud coverage, etc using Python, Django, and AWS. - Replaced Capture API (Object Model-based) with document model-based API with Python and Django to use standardized STAC catalog format for imagery metadata, allowing easy organization and access of catalog exceeding 2 PB of hyperspectra imagery data. - Designed and implemented Detection API, tracking methane leaks from monitored pipelines, allowing rapid response and preventing carbon emissions. ### Software Engineer - Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, React, Lit @ Badge List Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 Developed new features to support Badges and User Accounts functionality for tracking achievements in online educational courses using Ruby on Rails and JavaScript, supporting growth from 20k to 30k users. ### Senior Software Engineer - Python, Flask, TypeScript, React, Swagger @ Virta Health Jan 2019 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco - Architected full-stack feature for patient onboarding and enrollment portal for 30 client companies to accept 10,000+ new applicants using Python, Flask, TypeScript, and React, with API and code generation in Swagger. - Engineered developer infrastructure tools to support engineering team of 20 for company-wide migration from AWS to GCP, using Tilt for local development and deploying to Kubernetes in staging and prod. ### Software Engineer - Python, Django, GCP, Selenium @ Potato Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco, California Contracting via TechSource Inc - Owned development of Python and Django API endpoints for code submission, scoring, and user progress of submitted coding challenges, including Star Trek easter egg narrative for 20% of interviewees. - Drove testing of application using Python unittest module and Selenium with code reviews conducted in GitLab. - Worked closely with two other engineers, product lead, team coach, and product stakeholders at Google to ensure product met the client requirements and deadlines. - Tested application using python unittest module and selenium, and code reviews in GitLab ### Software Engineer - Python, Flask, Typescript, Angular, GCP @ Google Jan 2018 – Jan 2018 | Mountain View Contracting via SMCI, Inc Redeveloping the Google Analytics Partner Analytics Gallery website. Stack is Python w/ Flask and Google App Engine, Angular2, Typescript. Redeveloped backend of public-facing web-app for Google’s Foobar coding challenge with Python, Django, and Google App Engine, migrating 100+ coding challenge questions to non-relational Datastore to meet security requirements. Migrated Python backend to RESTful Flask-based API and frontend to TypeScript and Angular, rewriting endpoints and logic for B2B Google Analytics Marketing Platform product with over 20K lines of code. ### Software Engineer - Python, JavaScript, Angular @ Pinterest Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, California Contract via TEKSystems Summary: Updated internal content review tool using Python, AngularJS, Javascript --- Shipped critical internal tools used for content moderation review for Trust & Safety team to ensure compliance with German NetzDG law using Python, JavaScript, and Angular, completing project in legally mandated 10 week deadline. Collaborated closely with project stakeholders at various teams across Pinterest, consulting with Trust & Safety, delegating engineering tasks, and ensuring resulting product met legal requirements as well as user expectations. Ensured over 90% unit test coverage for new code, integration tests of new features within existing program, and conducted code reviews of colleagues contributions. ### Software Engineer - Python, JavaScript, Flask @ Ampex Data Systems Corporation Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | Hayward, CA Developed web-based GUI to replace custom CLI using JavaScript, Python and Flask to interface with data recording hardware used by a dozen major aerospace industry corporations. Led UI design and implementation of 6 major features as members of 2 person team using HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript for responsiveness and to ensure intuitive UX. Improved documentation of processes by 3X by increasing detail and readability of software changes, updates and testing procedures for both standard users and internal engineers. Reduced QA time by over 90% through re-engineering suite of testing scripts for data recorders utilizing TCL. ## Education ### Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Geomechanics University of Rochester ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/briangcastro --- Source: https://flows.cv/briancastro JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/briancastro/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-20