Senior Software Engineer (Data Platform)

About Us

We are a fast-growing, Series A NatureTech company (backed by leading investors AzureX Space Ventures, Equinor Ventures, and Intercontinental Exchange) on a mission to enable zero deforestation and degradation and support mass forest restoration by producing the highest-quality nature mapping data and insights products.

Data is at the heart of Space Intelligence. We process large volumes of satellite data and analyse it within a machine learning framework to produce valuable nature mapping products for our clients.

Our products are trusted by the developers and investors in nature-based solutions, including Apple, Climate Asset Management, Everland, and WCS. They are also used to support the validation of compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) through our partnership with ICE's Commodity Traceability Service (CoT).

We are a group of passionate, dedicated individuals with deep technical and scientific knowledge necessary for producing reliable, high-quality data and insights. We have a strong understanding of our customers' needs and develop long-term relationships that add value.

We are a values-driven organisation, embodying these principles in our daily work: we are Science-driven, with a Commitment to Quality, always Acting with Integrity. We have a focus on Innovation to create better products for our clients and an overall commitment to Equality. We are striving to create a commercial culture that is meritocratic and outcome-oriented.

Purpose

Our Senior Software Engineers in the Data Platform team have 2 key responsibilities:

• They own our data platforms, taking the lead in ensuring that we have the best data processing systems (storage, parallel compute clusters, data orchestration etc) available, using the Azure Cloud.  
• Additionally, they are responsible for building and operating (in an automation first fashion) our biggest “Petascale” data pipelines.   

This role is a leadership role involving providing technical leadership, and mentoring to the team.  

Who the role reports to

One of our Software Engineering Managers, or Head of Engineering. 

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

Your top level responsibility is to develop, deliver and maintain high quality products. Key responsibilities within that will be as follows:

• Be a leader in the team, mentoring and training other team members, and stepping up to lead projects or delivery as needed. You’ll “lead by example” modelling good practice.  
• Deliver high quality, low defect, maintainable (well structured for extension, well designed, documented & tested) code and systems, working closely as part of the team.  
• Review other engineers’ code, with a focus on their development - using the opportunity to mentor and train them.  
• Debug and fix issues identified in testing or production. - inc. providing UK business hours support.  
• Lead and contribute to testing.  

The above is not exhaustive. Within reason, and in discussion with the role-holder, we may amend from time to time and may also ask to carry out other tasks that we consider appropriate.

Key Qualifications, Requirements, Competencies

• You are a Big data person, with experience working with, and optimising data pipelines for large scale computation.   
• This role is about Heavy Engineering, but also has an operational element, operating big data platforms and pipelines (in an automation first fashion). You’ll be interested in both these sides of the role.  
• We are a science lead organisation. Although you are likely not a scientist by training, you’ll be keen to work alongside our science team, and constantly learn new areas, and to pick up some of the science underpinning our data as you go.  
• Extensive experience of software engineering, including design, implementation, Testing (manual and automated) and problem diagnosis. Typically 5+ years. - covering at least 1 of the team’s focus areas of (Geospatial)Data, DevOps or ML
• A technical degree or equivalent experience - Software Engineering/CS/ML degree is a bonus but not required.  
• You’ll have taken ownership of the development of significant software products or components in a multi person team.  
• (Desirable) Significant experience of Scrum/Agile.  
• Our tech stack is as follows - knowledge of these is a bonus but not required.  
• Azure
• Terraform
• Python
• xArray and Dask
• GitHub
• We are looking for a candidate who will be based in our office in central Edinburgh. Most of our team are in the office most days, and we feel you will learn fastest if you are in the office most days too. However, we support hybrid working and would be happy for you to work 1-2 days a week from home. 
• Right to work in the UK

Key Decisions This Role-Holder Makes

• Technical design decisions - e.g. infrastructure / library selection  
• Architectural decisions - proposing the appropriate architecture for a piece of software/infrastructure.  
• Prioritisation decisions - do we do X or Y first? Do we need to do Z before we release?

For all of the above - you’ll make smaller decisions independently, larger decisions you’ll drive, and agree with the team and other stakeholders, and the biggest you’ll make in collaboration with the Head of Engineering.  

Company Values

We have defined values and we are proud of them. Each team member has an obligation to work in a way that is in keeping with our values and this will form part of how we assess contribution to our business.

Our values are:

• Science Driven
• Committed to Quality
• Integrity
• Innovation
• Equality

Working Hours

37.5 hrs full time. We also welcome applicants to do this role Part time, ideally 70%+. We are a family friendly employer and offer a degree of flexi-time.  

All our roles operate within normal office hours, Mon - Friday. Very rarely, weekend and evening working may be required

Some travelling may be required - up to 10% of time for this role

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a cover letter explaining why you’re particularly suited for this role to careers@space-intelligence.com

Closing date: This is an open role so we have not set a date to apply by. If interested, we’d love to see your CV as soon as possible.