VITO - Software Engineer - Earth Observation Services

The Environmental Intelligence unit at Vito processes petabytes of Earth Observation (Eo) data. Within this unit, the Copernicus Services team designs, builds and operates end-to-end Eo processing chains for vegetation, land cover and agriculture monitoring. We deliver robust, 24/7 operational services to European and international partners such as Ecmwf, EEA, ESA, Eumetsat, Fao and JRC. To strengthen our development capacity, we are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Software Engineer. As a Senior Software Engineer, you will play a key role in the evolution of our operational Eo services. Modernizing our stack with cloud-native, scalable architectures Leveraging AI-assisted development tools to increase quality, velocity and maintainability You will work in an agile team of solution architects, developers, Eo scientists and operations engineers, helping bridge R&D prototypes into stable, maintainable operational services. You'll join a talented, dedicated team working in a fast-paced international environment, developing added value products on cutting edge technologies that support public authorities, industry, research and society at large. Develop efficient services, algorithms and data processing workflows for Eo satellite products Deliver clean, maintainable and well‑documented code, primarily in Python Take shared responsibility for operational services, including incident analysis, performance optimisation and reliability improvements Use AI‑assisted coding tools to improve efficiency and code quality Ensure solid automated test coverage (unit, integration, regression tests) Provide 3rd‑line support for customer issues and service anomalies Contribute to team-wide decisions on architecture, tools, coding standards and best practices Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field with at least 5 years of professional experience. Strong proficiency in Python and object-oriented programming. Proven experience in professional software engineering within an Agile environment Experience with CI/CD and testing frameworks Experience with AI-assisted development tools Experience in cloud-native deployments (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes, cloud providers) is a plus Experience with large-scale data processing (e.g. Affinity with Earth Observation, geospatial data or scientific data processing is a plus Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a mindset of continuous learning in both software engineering and Eo domains Ability to work independently toward clear outcomes, both individually and as part of a team. We also support flexibility: part‑time remote work or working from one of our satellite offices in Antwerp‑Berchem, Genk, Ghent, Leuven, Kortrijk or Ostend is possible. Innovation is our asset, so it goes without saying that we give our employees the opportunity to take additional training courses and stay up-to-date in their field. You will always have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and discover new technologies. You will have the opportunity to be part of an organization with an international reputation, known for its cutting-edge technological research and scientific consultancy. With us, you will contribute directly to sustainable developments at local, national and global level through your innovative applications.