Backend Engineer (Satellite Operation Systems)

Applications: candidates may apply from outside Japan. Visa sponsorship: not available. Japanese: Business level. English: Business level. Japan Dev tags: Engineering, Backend.

Company Introduction

Since our founding in 2008, Axelspace has been driven by the vision “Space within Your Reach.” We have continuously refined our unique micro-satellite technology with the goal of democratizing space technology to a wider population across the globe.

AxelGlobe started in 2019 to provide a new Earth observation infrastructure by launching multiple micro-satellites for its higher data frequency. In addition to a satellite launched in 2019, we have successfully launched Japan’s first four mass-produced satellites in 2021. We are currently operating a constellation of five Earth observation satellites, capturing images with a 55 km swath every 2 to 3 days, and providing data and solutions.

Building on our experience with our dedicated satellite business, we launched AxelLiner in 2022 to provide a one-stop service for satellite development and operation, helping customers quickly actualize their satellite business. In 2024, we launched our first demonstration satellite, “PYXIS,” bringing our total number of developed and operated satellites to 11.

Additionally, we received the highest award, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 22nd JAPAN VENTURE AWARDS in 2022, and was selected as part of “Technology Fast 50 2023 Japan” in 2023.

As the world faces pivotal stages in democratizing satellite development and satellite imagery use, we are actively looking for talented individuals who can enjoy the challenges to make a global impact with micro-satellite technology. Hit that apply button and let’s make our vision come true together!

Job Description

About the Role

Axelspace operates its satellites using an in‑house developed software system. To run these satellites, tasks such as scheduling satellite operations, sending and receiving commands, and analyzing received data are required. You will help develop, operate, and improve the automated systems that perform these tasks, and provide them as a service. Our vision, “Space within your reach,” drives us to fully automate and autonomize satellite operations so that satellite users can easily and effectively achieve their goals. With the mottos “Operate to automate” and “Automate all,” we continue to advance our satellite systems.

Job Description

As a member of the Satellite Service Automation Group, you will collaborate with other team members to:

• Operate the satellite constellation—tasks include orbital control, coordinated multi‑satellite imaging, and optimization of these operations.
• Research, design, develop, and operate the software systems and technologies necessary to deliver satellite services.
• Deploy and run the software you develop, providing users with reliable Earth‑observation and other satellite‑based services.

Required Skills

• Strong ability to identify, define, and solve mathematical or algorithmic challenges through programming
• Proficiency in developing, operating, and refining software systems using Python, C, or C++
• Experience building and maintaining software on Unix/Linux environments
• Familiarity with Git for version control in software development
• Capability to communicate technical information in English, in writing (documents, email, chat) and comfortably by voice
• Willingness to engage in English‐language technical discussions (translation tools are acceptable)
• Openness to learning Japanese communication skills as needed

Message from the team

As of July 2025, Axelspace’s satellite operations team manages a constellation of five satellites. We began operations at the end of 2018 with the launch of GRUS‑1A. Through continuous improvement of our operational software, we supported the simultaneous launch and initial operation of GRUS‑1BCDE in March 2021, and have since conducted routine operations for all five satellites.

Initially, our operations system was almost nonexistent, so we adopted a DevOps approach—our development team also runs the system. Today, we maintain a CI/CD environment that enables routine deployments of operational software. For example, after discovering a minor bug during the first communications pass of GRUS‑1BCDE, we deployed a fix in time for the second pass. Our end‑to‑end architecture is designed for resilience to changes, and by releasing small, frequent updates, we simplify validation, troubleshooting, and rollback. We aim to further refine these practices and, together with you, build a scalable, fully automated satellite service.