Software Engineer – Mission Control Software arbeitnow The Exploration Company Munich, Germany · 10/24/2026

Primetime; München; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Exploration Company is seeking a Software Engineer – Ground Segment to develop mission-critical software for testing and mission operations. You will contribute to our Mission Control Software and build tools used by flight controllers and engineering teams.

Join a fast-paced, mission-driven environment where you will mentor junior engineers, design scalable distributed systems, and collaborate across testing, engineering, and operations to ensure reliability and top quality.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in backend development using Python and/or Ruby on Rails.
• Understanding of object-oriented design principles.
• Experience with message brokers or event streaming systems.
• Experience building real-time data processing and ingestion systems.
• Familiarity with object storage solutions for large datasets.
• GIT version control experience.
• Familiar with automated testing frameworks.
• Ability to design, build, and maintain scalable distributed systems.
• Strong knowledge of software design patterns and best practices.
• Experience working in agile environments.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Attention to detail and quality vs. delivery speed.
• Motivation for fast-paced, mission-driven environments.
• Experience with relational or time-series databases.
• Experience with AWS or Azure cloud platforms.
• Familiarity with containers and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience in space industry or safety-critical domains.

Responsibilities

• Develop robust software used in testing and mission operations.
• Contribute across the full software development lifecycle, from design to deployment.
• Build scalable systems that support mission activities.
• Collaborate with testing, engineering, and operations teams to meet operational needs.
• Write performant, maintainable, and well-documented code.
• Ensure reliability through automated testing and operational validation.
• Support users and improve development workflows and tooling.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a strong engineering culture.

Skills

Python

Ruby on Rails

OO programming

Message brokers

Real-time data processing

Object storage

Git

Automated testing frameworks

Distributed systems

Design patterns

Agile

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Cloud platforms

CI/CD

Space safety-critical domains

Job description

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building spacecrafts for humanity.

Join us as a Software Engineer – Mission Control Software, where you will develop mission-critical software that powers our integrated testing and mission operations. You will primarily work on our Mission Control Software and build supporting tools used by flight controllers and engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities

In your capacity as a Software Engineer - Ground Segment you will:

Develop robust software used in testing and mission operations

Contribute across the full software development lifecycle, from design to deployment

Build scalable systems that support TEC’s expanding mission activities

Collaborate with testing, engineering, and operations teams to understand and meet operational needs

Write performant, maintainable, and well-documented code

Ensure reliability through automated testing and operational validation

Support users and contribute to improving development workflows and tooling

Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a strong engineering culture

What we would love to see from you

The ideal candidate will have:

Experience with backend development using Python and/or Ruby (on Rails)

Familiarity with object-oriented programming concepts and design principles

Experience with message brokers or event streaming systems (e.g., Redis Streams, Kafka)

Experience building systems for real-time data processing and ingestion

Familiarity with object storage solutions (e.g., MinIO, AWS S3) for handling large datasets

Experience with version control systems such as Git

Familiarity with automated testing frameworks

Ability to design, build, and maintain scalable distributed systems

Solid understanding of software design patterns and engineering best practices

Experience working in agile software development environments

Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills

Attention to detail with the ability to balance quality and delivery speed

Motivation to thrive in a fast‑paced, mission-driven environment

Experience with relational or time-series database technologies

Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure

Familiarity with containerization and CI/CD pipelines

Experience in the space industry or other safety-critical domains

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind

We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them

We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third‑party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.

This overview was written from the original listing to help you understand the role. Always confirm the specifics on the employer’s application page.