(Remote-first, must reside in an ESA member state)

We’re looking for a senior software engineer to help us build meaningful tools for partners such as ESA, NASA, ECMWF, and The Nature Conservancy, making Earth observation data more accessible and enabling open science. We're growing our Europe-based team and looking for someone with strong backend engineering fundamentals who can work across cloud-native geospatial pipelines and AI-driven data tools.

As part of this team, you'll scale cloud-native Earth observation services by streamlining ingestion pipelines and optimizing data workflows. You'll deliver robust AI-driven tools by strengthening interactive applications leveraging large language models (LLMs) and building reliable workflows resistant to inaccuracies. You'll be an essential contributor, combining backend engineering excellence with a user-focused product mindset.

Development Seed is a unique and rewarding place to do this work. Over the past two decades, we have honed our approach to stewarding projects with our partners from opportunity to successful, impactful products. Our technical teams are built of curious, empathetic people with high intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset. We open-source a lot of our work, invest heavily in R&D that drives the field, and regularly reinvent the nature of our work.

This is a remote-first position. You must be located in and authorized to work in one of the ESA member states with the option to work from our office in Lisbon, Portugal. You will be working on our EU-based projects while also collaborating with our global team.

What You'll Do

• Develop scalable geospatial services. Write clean, production-grade Python code, architect data services leveraging formats like STAC, Zarr, and Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs), and deploy services on cloud platforms like AWS, Azure or OVH

• Engineer robust backend systems. Build and maintain data-intensive pipelines, integrate tools like vector search, and ensure automated workflows are reliable and accurate

• Transform algorithms into user-centric workflows. Turn research prototypes into maintainable, test-covered services aligned with real user needs

• Guide technical direction with partners. Help scope projects, identify opportunities for innovation, and navigate ambiguity when working with European research organizations and operational agencies

• Collaborate openly. Engage with communities like GeoZarr, participate in open-source projects, write clear documentation, and contribute to community discussions and standards

• Mentor and document. Support team growth by sharing knowledge, documenting architecture decisions, and advocating for sustainable software practices

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 3 years focusing on data-intensive backend systems and building production code in collaborative team environments

• Expertise in Python. Strong proficiency with modern Python development practices, rigorous testing, and CI/CD workflows

• Cloud-native experience. Comfortable deploying services using Docker, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code (Terraform/CDK), and at least one major cloud provider (AWS, GCP, Azure)

• Strong product and communication skills. Ability to think strategically beyond tickets, clearly communicate decisions in pull requests, and discuss technical trade-offs effectively with colleagues and partners

• EU / UK work authorization. You reside in an ESA member state, and are comfortable collaborating asynchronously across multiple time zones

Nice To Have

• Strong familiarity with geospatial data and technologies. Experience with libraries like Xarray, Zarr, GDAL, or rio-tiler, and formats like STAC, Zarr, or Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs)

• Experience developing AI-driven architectures. Familiarity with building chat and search interfaces, using LLMs for orchestration, vector databases, embedding models, or retrieval-augmented generation (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex)

• Experience in product discovery and stakeholder engagement. Track record of project scoping, requirements gathering, and technical pathfinding with external partners. Helping organizations identify where new technologies can add value

• Contributions to open-source geospatial or AI projects

• Familiarity with scientific computing UX (JupyterHub, Binder, etc.)

• Experience engaging with the broader open-source community through talks, blogs, or forums

How We Work

• We collaborate in the open. Clear GitHub issues, thoughtful Slack conversations, and supportive code reviews

• We care about the work and each other. Sharing ideas, giving feedback, and investing in team growth

• We build sustainably. Focusing on quality, longevity, and impact, not just delivery speed

• We care about the real world. Our work supports science, sustainability, and public good

The Hiring Process

We have a 5 step hiring process for you and our team get a clear understanding of how we can succeed together:

1. Application review
2. Introductory interview to get to know each other (30 minutes)
3. Technical interview to talk about your skills for this position, prior experience, and answer hypothetical questions about how you’d approach future projects (1 hour)
4. Team fit interview to align with our team's culture and your longer term career goals (30 minutes)
5. Paid full day virtual interview activity for you to collaborate directly with our team members (8 hours)

If this role sounds exciting but you’re not sure you check every box, we encourage you to apply. We’re looking for thoughtful and motivated engineers who want to grow and contribute.

Development Seed takes embracing differences and providing fair opportunities seriously. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.