Mission Planning Software Engineer

About the Position

We are seeking a Mission Planning Software Engineer to join our Imaging Operations/Mission Planning Unit in Munich, Germany. This role is part of our ambitious mission to use thermal intelligence from space to understand global changes and provide critical insights to various sectors.

Our Mission

At constellr, we leverage thermal intelligence from space to monitor Earth's changes at scale. Our satellite constellation delivers high-resolution land surface temperature data, empowering governments, defense organizations, commercial operators, and global institutions to make better-informed decisions.

Responsibilities

• Build Core Services: Develop mission planning services and algorithms for our satellite constellation.
• Shape Architecture: Design scalable, reliable, and long-term operable mission planning systems.
• System Maintenance: Run, monitor, and maintain mission planning systems in live production environments.
• Engineering Standards: Define standards for reliability, CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, observability, safety, and compliance.
• Collaboration: Work with Flight Operations, Flight Dynamics, Payload, Satellite Operations, and Product leadership to translate mission needs into technical direction and system design.
• CI/CD and Deployment: Drive adoption of CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, and robust deployment practices.
• Telecommand Translation: Convert mission requests into executable satellite telecommands.
• Mission Alignment: Ensure mission plans align with onboard scheduling and execution constraints.

Requirements

Required:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
• 3–5+ years of experience in software engineering, space systems engineering, satellite operations software, or ground segment development.
• Strong experience in building production-grade distributed systems, backend services, or mission-critical software.
• Experience with mission planning, scheduling, automation, or orchestration systems.
• Proficiency in Python, Java, SQL, and containerized application development.
• Familiarity with Linux environments and production services.
• Experience with infrastructure components such as AWS, CI/CD pipelines, containerized deployments, and service orchestration.
• Ability to design and debug complex systems.
• Strong communication skills and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• High level of ownership, autonomy, and attention to detail.

Nice to Have:

• Prior exposure to satellite operations environments.
• Experience with real-time systems or high-reliability distributed systems.
• Experience with data systems and observability tooling.
• Experience with RESTful APIs and Django for server-side web application development.
• Hands-on experience with infrastructure as code and automated configuration management.
• Ability to build full-stack web applications.
• Experience managing cloud infrastructure on AWS.
• Theoretical and applied background in AI planning and optimization.
• Experience integrating automated planning and optimization algorithms.
• Experience in event-driven software architecture design and implementation.
• Hands-on experience with container orchestration using Kubernetes.

We Offer

• High-Impact Mission: Be part of a mission to launch the world’s first commercial thermal infrared constellation.
• Innovation: Work at the forefront of a rapidly evolving defense sector.
• Interdisciplinary Exposure: Collaborate with a diverse team of professionals.
• Inclusive Culture: Join a team committed to diversity, inclusion, and scientific excellence.
• Financial Upside & Well-being: Benefit from a Virtual Share Option Plan (VSOP) and flexible hybrid working models.

About the Company

Join constellr and contribute to a mission that turns temperature into actionable intelligence for a changing world. Work in a fast-paced, innovative environment where your contributions will directly impact global intelligence and decision-making.