Space Systems Engineer, Space Operations

Welcome to Planet. We believe in using space to help life on Earth.

Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. This constellation delivers an unprecedented dataset of empirical information via a revolutionary cloud-based platform to authoritative figures in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We are both a space company and data company all rolled into one.

Customers and users across the globe use Planet's data to develop new technologies, drive revenue, power research, and solve our world's toughest obstacles.

As we control every component of hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering, our office is a truly inspiring mix of experts from a variety of domains.

We have a people-centric approach toward culture and community and we strive to iterate in a way that puts our team members first and prepares our company for growth. Join Planet and be a part of our mission to change the way people see the world.

Planet is a global company with employees working remotely world wide and joining us from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.

About the Role:

The Space Operations team is crucial to Planet's success, responsible for maintaining and optimizing the health and productivity of the world's largest Earth Observation satellite constellation. Our team spans North America and Berlin. Given the scale of our fleet, automation is at the heart of our operations. You'll develop and maintain critical software, transforming large datasets into actionable metrics.

As a Space Systems Engineer, you'll support daily satellite operations, analyze data, triage and resolve anomalies, run on-orbit experiments, test and deploy software both on the ground and in orbit, and commission satellites. We are looking for a data-driven self-starter with effective communication skills that collaborates well within a technical team and adapts quickly to changing tasks and contexts. You'll work closely with hardware and software experts across teams to debug anomalies, enhance or create services, and provide operational insights to shape our next-generation satellites.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week. 

Impact You'll Own:

• Conduct daily fleet checks and support On-Call shifts
• Test and deploy flight software upgrades, debug satellite anomalies, and perform on-orbit experiments
• Develop and maintain real-time, mission-critical software solutions for satellite operations
• Write scripts to aggregate satellite data and generate system monitoring metrics
• Analyze data to identify issues and inefficiencies in the full stack of services and propose solutions
• Create and maintain operational procedures
• Drive improvements to fleet capacity and productivity through process enhancements
• Provide feedback to launch, manufacturing, and spacecraft engineering teams based on on-orbit performance, technical demonstrations, and forecasting models
• Shape operational strategies for next-generation spacecraft

What You Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or equivalent 
• 2+ years of relevant work experience
• Experience in software development, particularly in Python or similar languages
• Familiarity with the space environment and its challenges
• Data-driven mindset with experience in statistical analysis
• Proactive approach to engineering and problem-solving
• Effective interpersonal and collaboration skills within a technical team

What Makes You Stand Out: 

• Experience and understanding of spacecraft propulsion and guidance, navigation, and control systems
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructures
• Experience with Agile software development
• Experience in DevOps tools and practices (e.g., Git, GitLab, Docker, Jenkins, Bash, Linux, CI/CD, Sentry, Datadog)
• Practical experience in data analysis for problem-solving
• Familiarity with automation and optimization tools
• Contributions to open-source software projects

Application Deadline:

March 1, 2026 at 11:59PM PST

EAR/ITAR Requirements:

This position requires access to export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate's ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Benefits While Working at Planet:

These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
• Health Savings