Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Planetlabs; Netherlands; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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

Job summary

Planetlabs is hiring a Senior Software Engineer to develop transformative solutions for our Global Defense and Security customers. This role involves high autonomy in designing and building software solutions, contributing to customer commitments, and working with a collaborative team.

The position, based in the Netherlands, requires 6+ years of software engineering experience, proficiency in Python, and experience with geospatial software development. Benefits include paid time off, wellness programs, and more.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant work experience in software engineering or an equivalent technical role.
• Experience with geospatial software development and concepts.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the full development lifecycle for customer challenges.
• Design and develop robust, full-stack software.
• Mentor other engineers and contribute to code reviews.
• Deliver critical commitments on time.

Skills

Software engineering best practices

Effective communication

Customer engagement

Proficiency in Python

Experience with AWS or GCP

Geospatial software development

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field

Tools

AWS

GCP

Rasterio

Fiona

Shapely

OpenLayers

GDAL

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to help develop transformative solutions for our most strategic accounts, starting with our Global Defense and Security customers. In this role, you will work directly with key partners, acting as a senior technical contributor and hands‑on builder within a collaborative engineering team. Your mission will be to tackle complex, mission‑critical customer challenges by building high‑impact software.

You will have a high degree of autonomy to design and build what is needed, turning ambiguous requirements into functional and reliable software. Your work will directly contribute to delivering on critical customer commitments and will help inform future product development. This role is ideal for an individual contributor who thrives in dynamic environments and enjoys taking ownership of complex technical problems from design to delivery.

This is a full‑time, remote position based in the Netherlands or Belgium with up to 50% time onsite with the customer. If located near the office, you are expected to work from that office 3 days per week.

Impact You’ll Own

• Contribute to the full development lifecycle: from discovery and decomposition to designing, building, and deploying bespoke solutions for customer challenges.
• Design and develop robust, full‑stack software, including front‑end, back‑end, data integration, cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS), and CI/CD pipelines.
• Work directly with customers to understand their operational challenges and translate them into clear technical requirements.
• Identify reusable patterns in customer solutions to inform broader platform development.
• Leverage the latest AI tooling and an AI‑first mindset to drive rapid iteration, deliver value quickly, and adapt to evolving requirements with a bias for action.
• Mentor other engineers, contribute to code reviews, and help foster a collaborative team environment.
• Deliver critical commitments on time, understanding their direct impact on customer relationships and business objectives.

What You Bring

• 6+ years of relevant work experience in software engineering or an equivalent technical role.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field.
• Experience with geospatial software development and concepts (e.g., Rasterio, Fiona, Shapely, OpenLayers, GDAL).
• AWS or GCP experience.
• Proficiency in Python.
• Excellent knowledge of software engineering best practices, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, and testing methodologies.
• Excellent customer engagement skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Experience with fast, iterative development cycles and an ability to adapt to shifting requirements.
• Willingness to travel 30‑50% to customer sites within the region.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

What Makes You Stand Out

• Experience with JavaScript, Java, Go, or C#.

Application Deadline

May 22, 2026 by 11:59 p / 23:59 CET (Central European Time)

Benefits While Working at Planet

• 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

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.