The Data Production Department covers the lifecycle of the SAR data from downlink to delivery. Within this department, the SAR Processing unit is responsible for the development of the SAR image processing pipeline, which orchestrates deserialization, processing parameter estimation, focusing, and packaging into the different supported SAR data formats. Including its architecture, integration to ground systems and automation.
This role is about turning algorithms into a reliable, scalable production pipeline.
Responsibility
This is a hands-on, production-focused engineering role rather than a research position. You'll need a genuine SAR foundation, but your impact will come from system and pipeline engineering: integrating the processing algorithms, hardening them, and scaling across all acquisition modes and product types.
If you have a SAR/research background and want to move toward production and systems work, you'll fit well with us. If you've moved into research, management, or adjacent roles and want to return to hands-on SAR engineering, you're welcome too. If your goal is to stay in pure algorithm research, this role is not a good fit for you.
While knowledge of SAR principles is essential, the primary output is production-grade software and system architecture. As a radar engineer in our unit, you will work with radar data processing and image analysis for large datasets, while contributing to the design and development of future satellites’ radar systems.
Details of work
- Own and evolve the architecture of the SAR image processing pipeline
- Integrate and productionize SAR processing algorithms across acquisition modes and product types
- Investigate SAR image and processing issues, relating signal-level behavior (Doppler, geometry, focusing) to satellite and acquisition behavior
- Contribute to the end-to-end development of new SAR data products to expand our commercial offerings.
- Develop and automate tooling to analyze, troubleshoot, and verify products
- Collaborate with the design of a continuously growing ground system to include new operational modes
- Provide feedback on the system engineering of future satellites’ radar systems
Selling points of this role
- Work hands-on with spaceborne SAR with advanced processing technology at one of the leading companies in this field with full access to real sensor data and the complete signal chain.
- Act as the bridge between algorithm development, satellite development, and production
- Collaborate with engineers with diverse specialities (satellite engineering, signal and image processing, data science, machine learning, …).
- Participate in our “Shift-Left” quality roadmap by designing and implementing automated E2E testing frameworks for satellite product validation
- International, English-working environment in Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan On-site Full-time
Synspective is hiring a SAR Image Processing Engineer
About company
Synspective designs, builds, and operates a fleet of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites to detect and understand changes across the globe. Leveraging SAR satellite data with proprietary data analysis techniques, the company offers two core services: SAR data sales and solution services.
Synspective’s 100kg class SAR satellites are compact, low-cost, and capable of gathering high-resolution data regardless of weather or time of day. These satellites support global monitoring with applications in disaster response, infrastructure management, and environmental monitoring.
The company provides SAR data and remote monitoring services to government agencies and commercial clients worldwide. It also enables data analysis companies to develop new products using its satellite data, contributing to a growing SAR data ecosystem that enhances decision-making and risk management.
Synspective aims to build a constellation of 30 satellites to enable near real-time observation of any location on Earth, supporting resilient infrastructure and sustainable development through advanced Earth observation technology.