Principal Software Engineer

HEO is the world’s first commercial non-Earth imaging (NEI) and insights services company. NEI involves capturing resolved imagery of space objects using cameras mounted on other satellites, and deriving information and intelligence from the captured imagery. Our technology helps governments and commercial companies to visually monitor their spacecraft and other space objects they care about. Our vision is to image anything in the solar system on-demand. Read more about NEI here.

We are building out a high performing interdisciplinary team capable of pushing the boundaries of space technology. We are growing fast and looking for talented, passionate people that value collaboration, growth and learning to join our team.

HEO is a post Series-A company backed by high profile venture funds including Airtree, Y Combinator and In-Q-Tel. We are headquartered in Sydney, with offices in London, Tokyo, and Washington DC.

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About the role:

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will design, develop, improve and own software systems within the HEO ecosystem. This is a full stack role; you’ll operate in both the front and back end, where your focus will shift based on the current needs of the business.

Your immediate focus will be on advancing HEO Inspect 3.0, HEO’s NEI data and insights platform, and enabling the company to scale its non-Earth Imaging (NEI) capabilities. You will work across web applications, APIs, services, libraries, and cloud infrastructure.

While this is an individual contributor role, you’ll spend a portion of your time acting as a technical lead for the software engineering team. This means providing regular feedback, mentorship and technical strategy to the team, while remaining hands-on in the code yourself.

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Duties & Responsibilities

Your roles and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

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Specific duties include:

• Architect, design, and implement key features for HEO Inspect (web application and API)
• Assist with defining and improving best practices, and leading by example
• Own the development and maintenance of scalable, cloud-based backend services
• Collaborate with R&D to productionise and scale new algorithms
• Work with product teams to define technical requirements, resource allocation, and deliver customer-focused solutions
• Optimise algorithms across HEO software products
• Automate manual processes where appropriate
• Ensure secure management of user and product data
• Maintain reliability and security of customer-facing systems
• Mentor and support software engineers

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We are looking for someone with:

• 8+ years’ experience building and architecting large-scale cloud-based applications, including time in a senior or principal role
• A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Extensive knowledge in:
  • Python or another object-oriented programming language
  • Web development (REST APIs, Django)
  • Frontend technologies (JavaScript, React)
  • Databases (SQL and No-SQL)
  • Caching (Memcached, Redis, CDNs)
  • System integration and migration
  • Experience with monitoring and analytics for application performance/metrics
• Experience building and deploying end-to-end cloud applications

• Ability to drive technical decisions and work independently with minimal supervision
• Preferred, but not required experiences:
  • Background knowledge of orbital dynamics, robotics, AI/ML or image processing is considered a plus.
  • AWS services and products or any cloud service experience.
  • AI tooling.

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Perks & benefits:

HEO is one of Australia’s fastest-growing space technology companies. At HEO, we’re committed to creating the best working environment where everyone thrives, values collaboration, encourages innovation and shares the common goal of making space transparent.

• Employee Share Option Plan (Own a piece of HEO).

• Full-time role based in office, with flexibility for hybrid work.
• Central location in Sydney’s Tech Central.
• Flexible leave options so you can recharge and relax when best suits you – no forced leave during office shutdowns.
• Paid parental leave for primary and non-primary carers
• End of trip facilities - bicycle parking and showers.

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Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance HEO and our culture. Research shows that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single competency or experience. If you are excited about this role, don't overthink the checklist! We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't perfectly align with every qualification listed.

If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application and throughout the interview process.

Please note, the successful candidate must submit to a background check.

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