Senior Backend Software Engineer (Ground Segment)

Open Cosmos Ltd.
Harwell, United Kingdom
2 days ago

Role details

Contract type
Permanent contract
Employment type
Full-time (> 32 hours)
Working hours
Regular working hours
Languages
English
Experience level
Senior

Job location

Harwell, United Kingdom

Tech stack

API
Systems Engineering
Distributed Systems
Fault Tolerance
Python
PostgreSQL
RabbitMQ
Software Systems
Data Logging
Backend
Kubernetes
Deployment Automation
Api Design
Docker
Go
Microservices

Job description

We are now looking for two Senior Backend Software Engineers to shape and deliver the software systems that power our ground segment and satellite operations. You'll join the Ground Segment team - a cross-functional group building the systems that connect spacecraft, mission operations and customers in real time.

These roles lead the design, build and evolution of backend services that support mission-critical operations. They play a key role in technical decision-making, architecture direction and platform scalability, working closely with satellite operators, product stakeholders and engineering teams to deliver systems that are reliable, resilient and built for the realities of space missions.

What You'll Be Doing

  • Designing and owning backend services and APIs used in satellite and mission operations
  • Shaping backend architecture and contributing to long-term platform direction and technical standards
  • Leading technical design discussions and guiding implementation approaches across the team
  • Ensuring solutions account for space-specific constraints such as latency, intermittent connectivity and fault tolerance
  • Translating operational and product requirements into reliable, scalable software systems
  • Writing high-quality, maintainable and well-tested code and setting standards through peer review
  • Building and evolving microservices-based systems from concept through to production
  • Driving improvements in development practices, tooling and engineering workflows
  • Owning the performance and reliability of backend services in production
  • Deploying and operating services using containerisation and orchestration technologies
  • Establishing strong monitoring, logging and observability practices
  • Leading incident investigation, resolution and preventative improvements
  • Supporting and evolving CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment processes
  • Partnering with Mission Operations, Systems Engineering and Ground Segment teams to align software with operational needs
  • Supporting and mentoring other engineers, sharing knowledge and raising technical standards across the team
  • Contributing to planning, retrospectives and technical reviews, helping the team deliver effectively

Requirements

Do you have experience in gRPC?, * Strong programming capability in Go (Golang) and Python (or comparable backend languages)

  • Deep capability designing and operating backend systems in production environments
  • Strong understanding of microservices architecture, distributed systems and API design (REST and/or gRPC)
  • Proficiency with Docker and Kubernetes for deployment, scaling and operations
  • Strong working knowledge of PostgreSQL, messaging systems (e.g. RabbitMQ) and data modelling
  • Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments and testing practices
  • Strong understanding of observability, monitoring and service reliability principles

About the company

At Open Cosmos we are solving the world's biggest challenges fro space, providing businesses, governments and researchers access to more readily available information than ever before - ready for the challenge? Then read on… Working in our Chief Technology Office (CTO) The CTO division is where Open Cosmos technology comes to life. Covering engineering, product development, and technical innovation, the team designs, builds, and operates the satellites, systems, and platforms that make our missions possible. It's a highly collaborative environment where ideas become real hardware, software, and data solutions that deliver impact from space.

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