Staff Software Engineer (Fleet Control and Satellite Communications)

Role highlights: Staff Software Engineer Location: Espoo, Finland Department: Fleet Control and Satellite Communications Reports to: Director of Fleet Control and Satellite Communications Employment type: Permanent Workplace model: Hybrid, 3 days at the office Employment is subject to applicable security screening (incl. SUPO, where required) Why this role matters: Shape the system that plans, commands, and operates ICEYE’s fleet of satellites. As a Staff Engineer in our Fleet Control and Communications domain, you’ll provide hands-on technical leadership for the systems that decide what our satellites do and how we communicate with them. This is a high-leverage role at the heart of ICEYE’s operational capability: shaping architecture, driving implementation, and improving production systems that are critical to planning, commanding, and operating our satellite fleet. You will combine deep technical judgment, pragmatic execution, and cross-organizational influence to help us build systems that are robust, scalable, and aligned with business priorities. Your work will directly support ICEYE’s mission to become the global source of truth in Earth Observation. 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 Provide hands-on technical leadership for the systems that plan satellite activities and manage communication with the satellite fleet Drive architecture and implementation in production systems, balancing long-term technical direction with short-term delivery needs Go deep on critical technical problems, use data to understand root causes, and turn insights into pragmatic improvements Lead cross-team initiatives across engineering and operations, bringing clarity to ambiguous goals and changing priorities Mentor engineers and strengthen the organization’s ability to deliver faster and better over the long term What we’re looking for Must haves: Proven ability and strong motivation to drive large technical initiatives across teams and the wider organization, beyond the scope of an individual team 10+ years of experience building and running production backend systems Strong hands-on software engineering skills, with experience writing clean, maintainable code in Python, Go, or similar languages Strong experience with distributed systems at scale, including reliability, latency, throughput, failure modes, and production operability such as monitoring, alerting, and debugging Experience with modern engineering infrastructure and delivery practices, including containers, CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, and pragmatic use of AI-assisted development tools to improve productivity, code quality, and problem-solving Enjoy solving complex, constraint-heavy problems and balancing long-term architecture with short-term delivery Nice to haves: Experience in satellite operations, mission planning, communications systems, or other operationally critical environments Experience in environments where software interacts closely with hardware or real-world operations Application Process TA Partner Screen Call Hiring Manager Interview Technical assessment Values & 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 8 500 - 10 500 € 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 want you to bring your authentic self to the table. We’re committed to fair, inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Everyone is welcome to apply. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, tell us and we will do our best to help. Apply now to start your ICEYE journey and help us continue to make the impossible possible together. Read more about ICEYE and working with us at iceye.com .