Forward Deployed Geospatial Engineer - SAR Intelligence

Role highlights:

• Role: Forward Deployed Engineer - SAR Intelligence
• Department: Forward Deployed Engineering
• Location: Portugal (Must be based in-country)
• Reports to: VP, Forward Deployed Engineering
• Working type: Hybrid (On-site at customer locations approx. 50% of time)
• Must be eligible and able to attain relevant national and NATO security clearances at the highest level.

The Mission of the Forward Deployed Geospatial Engineer

In this role, you will bridge the gap between SAR physics and operational intelligence—ensuring defense and intelligence customers extract maximum tactical value from ICEYE’s satellite imagery. Embedded with intelligence analysts and military operators, you’ll operationalize ICEYE’s ISR Suite, configure automated detection workflows, and translate raw SAR data into actionable intelligence that delivers immediate situational awareness across maritime and land domains.

Who are we?

ICEYE delivers space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to governments and allied nations. This includes sovereign and turnkey ISR missions leveraging ICEYE's world-leading synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology, as well as access to data from the world's largest SAR satellite constellation. These capabilities enable partners to detect and respond to critical changes anywhere on Earth with unprecedented speed and accuracy – day or night and in any weather, supported by ultra high-resolution imagery and high-frequency revisits.

As a trusted partner for defense, intelligence, security, and maritime domain awareness, ICEYE's near real-time data creates a tactical advantage for mission-critical operations. ICEYE operates internationally with offices in Finland, Poland, Spain, Japan, the UAE, Greece, Germany, and the US. The company has more than 900 employees, inspired by the shared vision of improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation.

Day to day responsibilities:

SAR Data Operationalization

• Train and support intelligence analysts using SAR imagery for tactical missions (maritime, ground, infrastructure).
• Configure and optimize ICEYE ISR Suite for customer use cases and mission-relevant outputs.
• QA/validate SAR imagery products to meet operational requirements.

Custom Geospatial Workflows

• Develop Python geospatial automation (GDAL, Rasterio, NumPy) tailored to customer needs.
• Integrate ICEYE SAR data into customer COP environments (ArcGIS, QGIS, proprietary platforms).
• Implement automated detection/alerting for priority intelligence requirements (e.g., dark vessels, border anomalies, change detection).

Customer Engagement & Training

• Serve as SAR/geospatial SME for defense and intelligence customers.
• Deliver training on SAR fundamentals, interpretation, and platform capabilities.
• Provide embedded, real-time analytical support on watch floors/ops centers during missions.

Product Feedback & Innovation

• Capture operational feedback and translate into actionable product/engineering requirements.
• Document use cases, methods, and best practices for team reuse.
• Surface opportunities for new capabilities aligned to mission needs.

Requirements

Must have skills:

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) or equivalent experience in Remote Sensing, Geophysics, GIS, Geography, or related technical field.
• Understanding of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) physics, including polarimetry, interferometry, and imaging modes.
• Strong programming skills in Python for geospatial and earth observation data processing (GDAL, Rasterio, NumPy, GeoPandas).
• Hands-on experience analyzing and interpreting satellite imagery for intelligence or operational applications.
• Proven ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills in English (written & spoken) with ability to deliver effective training and technical presentations.
• Willingness to travel 30-50% to customer sites within the region.

Nice to have skills

• Experience working in defense, intelligence, or government operational environments.
• Familiarity with maritime domain awareness (AIS data, vessel detection, port monitoring).
• Experience with change detection, object detection, or automated feature extraction from satellite imagery.
• Knowledge of geospatial data standards and formats (GeoTIFF, COG, GeoJSON, KML).
• Understanding of military intelligence collection requirements and processes (PIR, CCIRs).

Application process

• Talent Acquisition Interview
• Hiring Manager Interview
• Technical Interview (onsite or virtual), including a Technical Challenge
• Hiring Team Interview
• Offer Decision
  

How We Work (Our Values)

• Make the impossible possible: We set ambitious goals and stay calm under pressure. We bring grit, optimism, and ownership when things get hard, and we keep moving until we find a way.
• Be curious: Go deep, ask questions, listen carefully, and think critically. Understand the “why” behind decisions.
• See the big picture: Stay close to what’s happening across the company so you can make better decisions. Consider how your work affects others.
• Drive effective teamwork: Create psychological safety, invite different perspectives, and build inclusive teams. There are no bad questions.
• Act as one team: We win together. We match tasks to the right owner and stay agile as priorities shift.
• Have fun:  What we do matters—and it should be enjoyable. Celebrate progress, take pride in results, and share the wins.

Benefits

Our benefits are designed to support your health and wellbeing—at work and beyond. We keep improving them based on employee feedback, and offerings vary by location. Talent Acquisition will confirm what applies for this role and location during the process.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We want ICEYE to be a place where people can be themselves and do great work. Different backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, which is why we work to create an environment where people feel included, respected, and able to speak up. Whatever your background, we want you to bring your authentic self to the table.

We’re committed to fair, inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Everyone is welcome to apply. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, tell us—we’ll do our best to help.

Apply now to start your ICEYE journey, and help us continue to make the impossible possible together. Read more about ICEYE and working with us at iceye.com.