Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer

Planet Labs PBC

Job Overview

Location

San Francisco, CA

Job Type

Full-time

Full Job Description

📋 Description

• Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer at Planet Labs PBC, supporting the development of Pelican Spacecraft and serving as a technical lead for mission assessment, verification and validation, assembly integration and testing, and on-orbit performance optimization.
• Day-to-day responsibilities include interfacing with customers on mission specifications, assessing system-level budgets for engineering trades, collaborating with mission operations and data product teams, participating in satellite AI&T and anomaly resolution, leading verification and validation of satellite and ground systems, and coordinating technical efforts across Mechanical, Thermal, ADSCS/GNC, Propulsion, Electrical, and Manufacturing engineering teams.
• Planet Labs PBC designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history, delivering data to commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors worldwide. The company combines space and data expertise, with a people-centric culture and global presence across San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.
• In this role, you will deepen your expertise in spacecraft systems engineering, lead cross-functional technical coordination, gain hands-on experience with satellite integration and testing, and contribute to missions that address global challenges through Earth observation data.

🎯 Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or similar
• 5+ years of experience in the design and development of satellite systems
• Customer facing experience in briefings and design reviews
• Understanding of one or multiple satellite subsystems, including Mechanical, Thermal, ADSCS/GNC, Propulsion, or Electrical
• Familiarity with requirements formulation, validation, and verification best practices
• Experience with vehicle testing, including both functional and environmental testing

🏖️ Benefits

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution
• Generous Paid Time Off in addition to holidays and company-wide days off
• 16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Home Office Reimbursement
• Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
• Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
• Equity
• Commuter Benefits (if local to an office)
• Volunteering Paid Time Off

Skills & Technologies

Senior

Remote

Degree Required

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Planet Labs PBC

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About Planet Labs PBC

Planet Labs operates the world’s largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites, delivering daily 3–5 m resolution imagery and high-resolution 50 cm tasking. Founded in 2010, the public benefit corporation serves agriculture, government, finance, and sustainability markets via a cloud-native platform that enables rapid analytics and change detection across the globe.

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