Senior Space Systems Engineer, Mission Optimization
Planet Labs · Berlin, Germany · 2d ago
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 Mission Optimization team is responsible for continuously improving the operations and productivity of the world’s largest Earth observation satellite constellation. We identify, triage, and resolve the bottlenecks that limit what our fleets can deliver – from contact scheduling and downlink latency, to collection capacity, to concepts of operation for our future missions.
As a Senior Space Systems Engineer on this team you will own the definition of novel concepts of operations. You will take problems that begin as a customer commitment, a contractual obligation, or an unexploited spacecraft capability, and turn them into an operational concept that engineering teams can build and operators can run.
You will operate with substantial latitude, working closely with spacecraft and systems engineering groups to understand what current and future fleets are capable of, with the software and operations teams who build and run the systems you're changing, and with Product and customer-facing teams to stay anchored to commitments and SLA risk. Being effective across those boundaries is a core part of this job.
This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our Berlin office 3 days per week.
Impact You’ll Own:
- Define and own concepts of operations for new missions, new spacecraft capabilities, and new customer products, from early design through nominal operations
- Lead optimization initiatives that span multiple organizations – setting the technical direction, building agreement, and holding the outcome against fleet SLAs and KPIs
- Serve as a primary technical interface for the team with stakeholders across engineering, operations, and product
- Translate contractual and customer obligations into operational concepts and capacity commitments the fleet can actually meet
- Model and analyze fleet performance with operational data to identify where capacity, latency, or agility are being left on the table
- Design, develop, and maintain the software solutions that implement these concepts
- Act as a recognized subject-matter expert across Planet and provide technical mentorship within the team
What You Bring:
- 10+ years of relevant experience in spacecraft operations, mission systems engineering, or a closely related field
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
- Ownership of concepts of operations for complex operational systems, from definition to implementation
- Working proficiency in Python or a comparable language, ability to model systems, analyze operational data, and contribute production code
- Quantitative approach, including statistical analysis and reasoning over large operational datasets
- A track record of leading technical initiatives across organizational boundaries
- Ability to communicate and negotiate technical positions with senior stakeholders
- Experience mentoring or technically leading other engineers
What Makes You Stand Out:
- Experience operating or designing operations for a large-scale satellite constellation
- Background in optimization, scheduling, or operations research
- Experience taking a new mission from design through commissioning and nominal operations
- Familiarity with commercial Earth Observation, tasking, or fulfillment systems
- Experience in a customer- or partner-facing technical role
- Familiarity with orbital mechanics, link budgets, and spacecraft resource modeling
- Experience with DevOps tooling and practices (Git, GitLab, Docker, CI/CD, Linux, Sentry, Datadog)
Application Deadline:
11:45p / 23:45 CET on the date stated below. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting may be removed earlier than projected if a suitable pool of applications has been received. For this reason, we recommend applying as soon as you are able to.
Export Control Requirements:
Planet Labs Germany GmbH is authorized to receive U.S. export-controlled information at Planet under an export license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security. This position requires access to U.S. and German/EU 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 German, EU, or U.S. authorities.
Benefits While Working at Planet:
These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.
- Paid time off including vacation, holidays and company-wide days off
- Employee Wellness Program
- Home Office Reimbursement
- Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
- Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
- Equity
- Volunteering Paid Time Off
Compensation:
The expected starting gross salary range for this role is listed below. Individual placement within this range is determined objectively based on gender-neutral criteria such as your skills, qualifications, and professional experience. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Why we care so much about Belonging.
We’re dedicated to helping the whole Planet, and to do that we must strive to represent all of it within each of our offices and on all of our teams. That’s why Planet is guided by an ultimate north star of Belonging—dreaming big as we approach our ongoing work. If this job intrigues you, but you’re thinking you might not have all the qualifications, please... do apply! At Planet, we are looking for well-rounded people from around the world who can contribute to more ways than just what is listed in this job description. We don’t just fill positions, we aspire to fulfill people’s careers, most excited about folks who are motivated by our underlying humanitarian efforts. We are a few orbits around the sun before we get to where we want to be, so we hope you’re excited to come along for the ride.
EEO statement:
Planet is committed to building a community where everyone belongs and we invite people from all backgrounds to apply. Planet is an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Know Your Rights.
Accommodations:
Planet is an inclusive community and we know that everyone has their own needs. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during the hiring process, please reach out to accommodations@planet.com or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.
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Privacy Policy (European Applicants): By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Candidate Privacy Notice GDPR Planet Labs Europe, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.
AI in Our Interviewing Process: Planet is committed to providing an exceptional interview experience for all candidates. We currently use Metaview to better focus on candidates and less on trying to capture notes. As such, with the candidate's consent, select interviews may be recorded and include a "Planet AI Notetaker" for transcription and summarization purposes. Should an interview involve use of AI interview technologies, the candidate will receive notification and have the ability to opt out both in advance and/or real-time. Opting out will not affect one's candidacy.
Candidate AI Policy: Planet embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, and we encourage its responsible use. We understand that candidates may use various resources, including AI tools, to prepare for interviews and assessments. However, during any live interview stage or when actively completing assessments for this position, the use of AI tools—e.g. Large Language Models (LLMs), deep fake technology, etc.—is strictly prohibited unless explicitly prompted by an interviewer or assessment instructions. If you are unsure about acceptable use, please contact your recruiter for clarification. If an AI tool or similar technology is desired as an accommodation, please contact accommodations@planet.com with your request for assistance. Your message will be confidential, and we will be happy to assist you. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification of your application.