Software Engineer – Ground Segment & Mission Control

Space Applications Services NV/SA; Brussel Hoofdstad; Hybrid; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work option

Job summary

Space Applications Services NV/SA in Brussels area seeks a Java software engineer to join the CDC team building ground segment software for European space missions. You will design, implement and test Java components, and help advance cloud-native, microservices architectures in close collaboration with customers and partners across Europe.

The role includes working on ESA/ESOC projects, contributing to Yamcs and open-source initiatives, and growing within a senior, hands-on team in

Qualifications

• A degree in computer science, engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience developing in Java, including concurrency, I/O and performance-sensitive code.
• Familiarity with containerised deployment and cloud readiness.
• Experience with relational databases and SQL.
• Fluent English, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, test and document Java software components for ground segment and mission control systems.
• Adapt existing applications for containerised, orchestrated deployment; identify and remove obstacles to cloud readiness.
• Integrate with third-party and open-source components: PostgreSQL, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Keycloak, object storage, Prometheus/Grafana.
• Work within CI/CD pipelines: automated build, test and deployment.
• Participate in design reviews, technical notes and customer-facing documentation.
• Collaborate with consortium partners in Belgium, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Skills

Java

Concurrency

SQL

Git

CI/CD

English

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Helm

Terraform

Ansible

PostgreSQL

Kafka

RabbitMQ

Keycloak

Job description

We are looking for a Java software engineer to join the CDC team and take part in the implementation of ground segment software for European space missions. The successful candidate will work in a small, senior, hands‑on team. Responsibilities involve writing production Java, reviewing colleagues' code, taking ownership of components end to end, and working directly with customers and consortium partners across Europe.

The first assignment will consist of joining one of the team's ongoing projects for the European Space Agency (ESA) and other institutional customers. Current activities include the transformation of ESA ground segment systems, such as the EGOS Data Distribution System (EDDS) at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), into scalable, cloud‑native services, as well as the delivery of mission control and data distribution solutions for institutional and commercial space missions.

The work includes the decomposition of existing Java‑based systems into decoupled functional components and services, enabling scalability, resilience, and deployment in cloud‑based environments. The successful candidate will contribute to the design and implementation of modern software architectures, supporting the evolution of operational ground segment systems towards cloud‑native and microservices‑based solutions.

In the longer term, there is scope to contribute to Yamcs (https://yamcs.org), our open‑source mission control system written in Java and released publicly. Yamcs implements CCSDS and ECSS standards and continues to evolve towards a fully cloud‑native, microservices‑based architecture capable of supporting large‑scale constellations. Contributing to Yamcs means your work is visible, used by mission operators worldwide, and reviewed by an international user community.

• Location: Sint-Stevens-Woluwe (Brussels Area)

• Start date: As soon as possible

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Design, implement, test and document Java software components for ground segment and mission control systems.
• Adapt existing applications for containerised, orchestrated deployment; identify and remove obstacles to cloud readiness.
• Integrate with third‑party and open‑source components: PostgreSQL, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Keycloak, object storage, Prometheus/Grafana.
• Work within CI/CD pipelines: automated build, test and deployment.
• Participate in design reviews, technical notes and customer‑facing documentation.
• Collaborate with consortium partners in Belgium, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Skills and Experience

• A degree in computer science, engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• A minimum of 3 year of experience developing in Java, including concurrency, I/O and performance-sensitive code.
• Docker and Kubernetes; Helm; infrastructure‑as‑code (Terraform, Ansible).
• Comfortable with Linux as a development and deployment environment.
• Experience with Git, automated testing and CI/CD.
• Working knowledge of relational databases and SQL.
• Fluent English, written and spoken.

Considered as Assets

• Cloud platforms
• Messaging and streaming systems (Kafka, ActiveMQ, RabbitMQ); microservices and REST API design.
• Front‑end development (TypeScript, Angular or React) for operator‑facing web UIs.
• Key‑value or time‑series data stores (RocksDB, Cassandra, InfluxDB).
• Prior exposure to space systems: CCSDS/ECSS standards, telemetry and telecommand, EGS-CC, or spacecraft operations in general.
• Open‑source contribution experience.
• French or Dutch.

Our Offer

• Working within an exceptional sector with Staff located in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands
• A professional and modern working environment with motivated Administrative Staff, Engineers, Astronaut Training Instructors and Scientists coming from all different horizons and countries with a common passion for space and their own expertise
• A full-time position with an indefinite contract of employment
• A competitive remuneration package and good working conditions
• Working from home in part can be a possibility
• An individualised training and development programmes.