At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the transformation to autonomous space operations and inspire a world-class engineering team.
- Company: Join Spire, a pioneering space-to-cloud analytics company with a diverse and inclusive culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy generous time off, education assistance, fitness reimbursement, and employee stock purchase options.
- Other info: Hybrid work model with opportunities for professional growth and mentorship.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in space technology while working with cutting-edge AI and automation.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in software engineering with strong leadership and technical skills.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 150000 € per year.
Spire is making a fundamental shift in how it operates its constellation. We are moving from a model where trained operators watch dashboards and escalate to experts, to one where the system is fully autonomous, self-healing, and data intelligent. This Director will lead that transformation. You will set the technical vision, define the architecture, build and inspire the team, and personally raise the standard for what modern space operations look like.
The old model relies on operators, escalations, manual processes, and institutional knowledge locked in the heads of a few experts. It does not scale and it does not belong in a modern space company. We know what we want to replace it with: SRE principles applied to a constellation, autonomous fault handling, AI-driven anomaly detection, low toil, high data quality, and continuous improvement baked into the system.
What This Role Is Not:This is not a role for someone who wants to graduate out of technical work. If your ideal week is back-to-back 1:1s, sprint ceremonies, and stakeholder syncs, this is not the right fit. We need a director who writes code, reviews architecture, challenges technical decisions, and earns the team's respect through demonstrated craft and not just tenure or title.
What You Will Work On:
- Technical Leadership
- Define and own the technical roadmap for autonomous constellation operations
- Set the architectural direction for the data platform, reliability systems, and automation infrastructure
- Stay hands-on: review code, prototype solutions, and get into the details when it matters
- Establish engineering standards across code quality, system design, testing, and observability, and hold the team to them
- Be the person engineers come to when the problem is genuinely hard
- Team Building & Culture
- Recruit, develop, and retain a team of 6 to 10 world-class reliability and platform engineers
- Set the pace, tone, and ambition for the team and make being on it feel like a privilege
- Create an environment where engineers grow fast, own their work, and ship things they are proud of
- Identify gaps and level up engineers through mentorship and not just management
- Operational Transformation
- Lead the shift from manual, operator-driven processes to fully automated and self-healing operations
- Define and drive toward SLOs, error budgets, and reliability targets for the constellation
- Partner with satellite operations and mission teams to translate pain into software solutions
- Cross-Functional Influence
- Be the technical voice of the team in company-wide conversations about architecture, infrastructure, and platform strategy
- Influence how Spire thinks about automation, data, and AI/ML across the broader engineering organization
Basic Qualifications:
- 7+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 3 in a technical leadership or staff-level individual contributor role
- Demonstrated track record building and shipping reliable production systems at scale. You have owned things that could not go down.
- Deep technical credibility. Engineers on your teams have respected your judgment and not just your title.
- Experience with SRE principles, reliability engineering, or large-scale automation. You have reduced toil systematically and not just complained about it.
- Strong foundation in Python, distributed systems, data platforms, and cloud infrastructure
- Experience hiring and developing engineers. You know what great looks like and how to find it.
- The communication and influence skills to drive technical decisions across teams you do not directly control
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience applying AI/ML or advanced analytics to operational or monitoring problems
- Experience writing performance software in Rust
- Background in space systems, aerospace, or highly constrained real-time environments
- Experience building data lakes, telemetry platforms, or observability infrastructure at scale
- A history of leading teams through technical transformations and not just maintaining the status quo
Spire operates a hybrid work model, and this position will require you to work a minimum of three days per week in the office. Access to US export-controlled software and/or technology may be required for this role. If needed, Spire will arrange the necessary licenses—this is not something candidates need to have before applying.
Global Perks
- Name Your Satellite Program (NYSP)
- Launch Attendance
- Generous Time Off Policy
- Education Assistance Program
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
- Family Leave
- Fitness Reimbursement
- Employee Referral Program
- Healthy snacks & beverages in every office
About Spire
We improve life on Earth with data from space. Spire Global is a space-to-cloud analytics company that owns and operates the largest multi-purpose constellation of satellites. Its proprietary data and algorithms provide the most advanced maritime, aviation, and weather tracking in the world. In addition to its constellation, Spire's data infrastructure includes a global ground station network and 24/7 operations that provide real-time global coverage of every point on Earth.
Spire is Global and our success draws upon the diverse viewpoints, skills and experiences of our employees. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status.
To help maintain a safe and secure workplace for Spire employees, all candidates who receive a conditional offer will be required to complete a background check. This may include criminal history and employment verification.
Please take a moment to review Spire's Global Data Privacy Notice for Employees, Contractors, Candidates and Visitors, as well as Spire's Privacy Policy. Kindly be advised that communication regarding your application may come from @spire.com, @recruiting.spire.com, or from Candidate.fyi (our scheduling tool).
Director of Software Engineering in Glasgow employer: LinkedIn
At Spire, we are at the forefront of transforming space operations with a commitment to innovation and excellence. As a Director of Software Engineering, you will thrive in a dynamic work culture that values hands-on technical leadership and fosters rapid employee growth through mentorship and collaboration. With generous benefits like flexible working arrangements, education assistance, and a supportive environment, Spire is an exceptional employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the world of space technology.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of Software Engineering in Glasgow
✨Tip Number 1
Get your hands dirty! When you’re applying for a role like Director of Software Engineering, it’s crucial to show that you’re not just about the big picture. Dive into the technical details, share your coding experiences, and demonstrate how you’ve tackled complex problems in the past.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current employees at Spire or similar companies on LinkedIn. Ask them about their experiences and insights into the company culture. This can give you a leg up during interviews and help you tailor your approach.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership style! As a director, you’ll need to inspire and build a team. Share stories of how you’ve mentored engineers, fostered collaboration, and created an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to excel.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Spire team and contributing to its mission.
We think you need these skills to ace Director of Software Engineering in Glasgow
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Technical Skills:Make sure to highlight your hands-on experience in software engineering. We want to see your coding skills and how you've tackled complex problems in the past. Don’t just tell us about your leadership; show us your technical chops!
Be Clear About Your Vision:When you write your application, share your thoughts on what modern space operations should look like. We’re looking for someone who can set a clear technical vision, so don’t hold back on your ideas about autonomous systems and reliability.
Culture Fit Matters:We value a collaborative and growth-oriented culture. In your application, let us know how you’ve built teams and fostered an environment where engineers thrive. Share examples of mentorship and how you’ve helped others level up their skills.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at LinkedIn
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Director of Software Engineering, you need to demonstrate deep technical knowledge. Brush up on SRE principles, reliability engineering, and the specific technologies mentioned in the job description, like Python and cloud infrastructure. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you've applied these principles to solve complex problems.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
This role is all about leading a team and inspiring them to excel. Prepare examples of how you've built and nurtured teams in the past. Think about how you can create an environment where engineers feel valued and motivated. Share your vision for team culture and how you plan to mentor and develop talent.
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Expect to face technical challenges during the interview. Be prepared to dive into code reviews or architectural discussions. Practise explaining your thought process clearly and concisely, as this will showcase your ability to lead technical discussions and influence decisions across teams.
✨Align with Spire's Vision
Understand Spire's mission and how they are transforming space operations. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals of automation and data intelligence. Show enthusiasm for their vision and be prepared to share ideas on how you can contribute to their operational transformation.
