Senior Backend Software Engineer (Ground Segment)

Open Cosmos; Harwell; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Cutting-edge technology

Mission-driven company

Diverse and supportive team

Job summary

A leading space technology firm is seeking a Senior Backend Software Engineer to design and maintain backend services for satellite operations. You will work with modern technologies like Golang, Kubernetes, and Docker in an agile, collaborative environment. The ideal candidate has strong programming skills and a passion for innovative space solutions. This role is full-time and available in multiple locations including the UK.

Qualifications

• Strong programming skills in Golang and ideally Python.
• Ability to design, implement, and maintain microservices.
• Track record of creating best practices for scalable software.
• Clear communication and collaborative approach.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, deploy, and maintain backend services.
• Write and ship code from day one, collaborating with stakeholders.
• Mentor junior engineers and review code.
• Improve reliability and performance of development processes.

Skills

Golang

Microservices

Docker

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

RabbitMQ

Job description

Senior Backend Software Engineer (Ground Segment)

At Open Cosmos we are solving the world’s biggest challenges from 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 hub where Open Cosmos technology comes to life – we design, build, and operate the satellites, systems, and platforms that make our missions possible.

Our Ground Segment team builds and runs the software that powers Open Cosmos missions. From our cloud‑native Mission Operations Centre (MOC) to customer‑facing tools, they design, deploy, and operate the systems that keep multi‑satellite constellations flying.

Working with modern technologies – microservices, Kubernetes, Go, RabbitMQ, Postgres, and Terraform – the team follows an agile, DevOps‑driven approach. Every engineer owns their work end‑to‑end, from design and code to testing and operations, with plenty of space to suggest improvements and shape how they work.

What You'll Be Doing

• Design, build, test, deploy, and maintain backend services that power satellite operations – from our cloud‑native MOC to the systems that keep multi‑satellite constellations running.
• Write and ship code from day one, collaborating with satellite operators and stakeholders to shape the technical roadmap, architecture, and features.
• Mentor junior engineers, review code, and champion best practices across the Ground Segment.
• Tackle challenging problems, improve reliability and performance, and continuously enhance the development processes that keep our missions flying.

What You’ll Bring

We care more about what you can do than where you learned it – if you’re excited about the mission, we’d love to hear from you even if you don’t tick every box.

• Strong programming skills in Golang (and ideally Python or similar) focused on clean, maintainable code.
• Ability to design, implement, and maintain microservices using Docker, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, HTTP REST, gRPC, and RabbitMQ.
• Track record of creating and championing best practices that lead to reliable, scalable software.
• Clear, concise communication and a collaborative approach.

For this role you can be based in any of our locations: Barcelona, Spain; Porto, Portugal.

Legal requirement: To apply, you must have the legal right to work in your chosen location.

Why Open Cosmos?

• Work at the cutting edge of space technology with customers around the globe.
• A mission‑driven company making space accessible to help solve real‑world challenges.
• A diverse, ambitious, and supportive team.

Seniority Level: Mid‑Senior level | Employment Type: Full‑time | Industries: Space Research and Technology, Telecommunications, and Defense and Space Manufacturing