Cloud Infrastructure Engineer

Tokyo
Partial Remote
Full-time
October 4, 2024

Job description

The Data Production Department is responsible for satellite operations, image data production, and distribution of data products of our proprietary small SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellites, the "StriX" series.

The Satellite Operation Planning Unit has the responsibility of making operation plans of our satellites, generating commands for the satellites based on the operation plans, and registering the generated commands to our satellite control system. The unit is also responsible for data management necessary for operations.

Responsibility:

In this position, as a member of the Data Production Department, you will join the Satellite Operation Planning Unit which is responsible for developing and operating the Spacecraft Control Subsystem for our small SAR satellite constellation "StriX" series. The Spacecraft Control Subsystem is one of the subsystems to operate our satellite constellation. Our responsibility is to keep the system working reliably at all times.

Details of work:

The roles of the Spacecraft Control Subsystem are making operation plans for our satellites, generating commands for them, and calculating specific information of our satellites such as past and future position and velocity data to use them in the planning process.
Since this is an in-house system development, we will not only develop but also operate the system to add and improve future functions.
The person in this position has the responsibility to maintain and update the infrastructure of the Spacecraft Control Subsystem, and achieve continuous improvement without any troubles. The person will also collaborate with other infrastructure engineers in the company to introduce best practices to our system, support development and operation of other systems.

Selling points of this role:

We’ve already operated 3 satellites in orbit, and the number of satellites will increase rapidly in the near future. Because the Spacecraft Control Subsystem has already been used for our daily operations, we cannot perform our daily satellite operations without it. You will be involved in the maintenance and operation of such an important system.

You will be also involved in the core of our business by maintaining the Spacecraft Control Subsystem because it has interactions with our data platform which is used as the frontend to customers, and the Data Processing Subsystem which generates SAR products.

Now we plan to expand our satellite constellation rapidly and we are required to operate our satellites with more stability and less personal effort. You will be able to show your skill and grow yourself through achieving these requirements.

Job requirements:

Experience with Docker and Kubernetes on Google Cloud or AWS for more than 3 years.
Experience working in a team of more than 3 members.
Experience managing infrastructure by Infrastructure as Code tool (such as Terraform, Pulumi, etc) for more than a year.
Experience with Observability and Site Reliability Engineering.
Experience with cost optimization of systems.
Experience with Incident Management and Post-Mortem Analysis.
Basic Networking Principles and Concepts.
Comfortable with communicating in English, both written and spoken.
Able to commute to our Tokyo head office (at Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Tokyo. Expected frequency is 2 or 3 days per week).

Preferred qualifications:

Experience with Development with event driven processes.
Experience integrating tracing solutions in a microservices based system.
Experience working as a leader or sub-leader in infrastructure management.
Experience developing and operating large-scale applications.
Experience designing cloud architecture with Google Cloud or AWS.
Experience working in the space domain (ground system development is ideal)
Fluent communication in Japanese.

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About Synspective

Synspective is a space start-up that provides business solutions based on data from satellites. Founded in 2018, they develop and operate their own synthetic aperture radar satellites.

While most start-ups in the Earth Observation sector are limited to one area such as data analytics or the development of satellite hardware, Synspective handles everything from developing satellites to data analytics to building solutions for clients based on this infrastructure.

With an emphasis on data, Synspective aims to become a true one-stop-shop player for solutions based on satellite data. With SAR satellites that apply the results of the Japanese Cabinet Office’s “ImPACT” program, Synspective’s goal is to create a platform capable of frequent data collection, and sell or use that data to offer solutions for government and business entities.

Synspective’s culture is defined by their concept of “Human Centered Design for Company”. They’re striving to build a strong organization that relies on the performance of each individual. To that end, they provide a flexible environment where specialists can work autonomously, empowering members to work whenever it enables them to do their best work.

Since the company is entering into a market that’s still developing, optimizing for the performance of each individual is essential for the success of the company’s business. They also want to support members in expressing their own ideas and hypothesis since they know that the satellite business still has many open questions.

Synspective is an organization full of highly-motivated specialists, so each full-time employee is on a 6-month contract. Members’ performance is evaluated every six months, and those who’ve made major contributions are rewarded for their effort. This also helps maintain an environment where everyone can work freely and independently among people focused on improvement and growth.

Japanese Language Policy
Synspective’s Japanese requirement varies based on the position, but they only require Conversational Japanese skills for developers. Being able to speak business level Japanese will come in handy however. Official company events use English, but day-to-day communications can depend on the team.
Paid Leave
Synspective’s PTO policy consists of annual paid leave following Japanese labor law.

The first year an employee joins, they’ll receive ten PTO days, plus Saturdays and Sundays and all Japanese public holidays off.

Each year the number of PTO days they’re granted will increase by one (e.g. 11 days granted in year 2) up to a maximum pursuant with Japan’s labor laws.
Benefits
💹 Employee stock option plan

💻 New tech gear

👩‍🎓 Skill development support

💛 Support for attending conferences

💜 Seminar participation support

👶 Parental Leave

🧡 Social security / insurance benefits included

🏥 Healthcare insurance

💚 Pension insurance
Remote Work
Employees are completely free to work remotely or from the office. In fact, Synspective is planning to support full remote work even after COVID-19.

However, we ask that everyone live close enough to commute to the office if necessary.
Work style
Full flex time with core time from 11:00AM to 3:00PM
Synergy of Spirit

As part of Synspective, we embark on this journey together, bringing with us our combined experiences and life. As a team, we recognize that the team’s goals are my personal goals, and my goals are the team’s goals. We each share a part of the responsibility to succeed. I constantly communicate to align my efforts with our goal. I manage my energy and time to maximize team performance. I give more than I take. I provide value when needed and I take responsibility for my own behavior.

Synthesis of Knowledge

We try to create new value under conditions that have huge uncertainty and volatility. The only way for us to succeed is to progress through trial and error that we learn from and make changes based on our new knowledge. I listen actively and respectfully to others’ opinions, consider it logically and examine my assumptions, and discuss it with my team constructively. I learn by doing and building upon our experiences. I aim to achieve better results with every new attempt. I accelerate the collective learning process by openly sharing experiences and knowledge with my team.

Synched with the Future

We have an obligation to create a sustainable future for the next generations. To do so, we must tackle tough challenges as pioneers, leaving our comfort zones that prevent our growth. I recognize that a smart failure is a step toward success and try to learn from the past to solve new issues in the future. I set aggressive goals and divide them into sprint-victories in order to continue to tangibly advance and make progress. I consider the future, prepare for it, and actively engage in making it happen with quick actions and decisions.