ICEYE is a Finnish spacetech company that builds and operates the world's largest SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation for persistent Earth observation and intelligence.
ROLE HIGHLIGHTS: • Senior Backend Software Engineer • Location: Espoo, Finland • Department: Fleet Control and Satellite Communications • Reports to: Engineering Manager, Satellite Fleet Planning • Employment type: Permanent • Workplace model: Hybrid • Employment is subject to applicable security screening (incl. SUPO, where required) Why this role matters: This is a role where your work has real-world impact. The systems you build directly influence what our satellites do next, shaping global intelligence, disaster response, and security operations. You will tackle hard backend problems such as scheduling, optimization, and distributed coordination in a constrained environment where reliability truly matters. The focus is on production-grade systems, with strong emphasis on observability, resilience, and how things actually run at scale. You own what you build end to end, from design to production. Our modern tech stack combines cloud, on-prem, and real hardware, bringing software together with physical constraints. Our engineering culture is AI-positive, with active use of tools like copilots and LLMs to improve speed, code quality, and overall productivity. Who We Are ICEYE delivers space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to governments and allied nations. This includes sovereign and turnkey ISR missions leveraging ICEYE’s world-leading synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology, as well as access to data from the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation. These capabilities enable partners to detect and respond to critical changes anywhere on Earth with unprecedented speed and accuracy, day or night and in any weather, supported by ultra high-resolution imagery and high-frequency revisits. As a trusted partner for defense, intelligence, security, and maritime domain awareness, ICEYE’s near real-time data creates a tactical advantage for mission-critical operations. Designed for dual use, the platform also serves civil protection and commercial users for natural-catastrophe intelligence, insurance, maritime monitoring including oil-spill detection, and finance, contributing to global security and community resilience. ICEYE is headquartered in Finland and operates globally across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. We have more than 900 employees, united by a shared vision: improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation. Your day-to-day responsibilities - Design and operate scalable backend services for satellite fleet planning - Build production-grade distributed systems with strong reliability and observability practices - Own services end-to-end: design → deploy → monitor → improve - Work closely with engineers across ground systems, satellite ops, and external integrations - Improve system performance, fault tolerance, and operational visibility What we’re looking for Must haves: - 5+ years of experience building and running production backend systems - Strong focus on operability alongside implementation (monitoring, alerting, debugging) - Proven experience with distributed systems at scale (latency, throughput, failure modes) - Proficiency in writing clean, maintainable code in Python, Go, or similar - Active use of AI-assisted development tools (e.g., copilots, LLMs) to improve productivity, code quality, and product problem-solving - Hands-on experience with modern infrastructure (containers, CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code) - Demonstrated ability and interest in solving complex, constraint-heavy problems Nice to haves: - Experience with observability stacks (metrics, tracing, logging) - Background in scheduling, optimization, or resource allocation problems Application Process • TA Partner Screen Call • Hiring Manager Interview • Take-home work sample and technical interview • Values and Fit Interview • Final interview with SVP of Engineering Working at ICEYE At ICEYE, you’ll join a diverse and highly engaged team united by the ambition to make the impossible possible. As a global scale-up, we combine speed and ambition with the opportunity to take real ownership from day one. Your growth, wellbeing, and success are a priority, with continuous professional development, training opportunities, and a culture where collaboration is how we win. How We Work (Our Values) Make the impossible possible: We set ambitious goals and stay calm under pressure. We bring grit, optimism, and ownership when things get hard, and we keep moving until we find a way. • Be curious: Go deep, ask questions, listen carefully, and think critically. Understand the why behind decisions. • See the big picture: Stay close to what’s happening across the company so you can make better decisions. Consider how your work affects others. • Drive effective teamwork: Create psychological safety, invite different perspectives, and build inclusive teams. There are no bad questions. • Act as one team: We win together. We match tasks to the right owner and stay agile as priorities shift. • Have fun: What we do matters and it should be enjoyable. Celebrate progress, take pride in results, and share the wins. Benefits Our benefits are designed to support your health and wellbeing, at work and beyond. We keep improving them based on employee feedback, and offerings vary by location. Talent Acquisition will confirm what applies for this role and location during the process. Base salary range for this position is 5 500 - 7 500 € per month (gross), depending on experience, and will be negotiated individually. Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion We want ICEYE to be a place where people can be themselves and do great work. Different backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, which is why we work to create an environment where people feel included, respected, and able to speak up. Whatever your background, we w