Opto-Mechanical Engineer

Planetlabs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 144,500 - 180,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Generous Paid Time Off

Paid Parental Leave

Tuition Reimbursement

Commuter Benefits

Job summary

Planetlabs is seeking an Opto-Mechanical Engineer in San Francisco to drive the design and manufacturing of optical payloads for satellites. This full-time, in-office role requires collaboration with various engineering teams and hands-on engagement with hardware.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and over 4 years of experience in opto-mechanical products. Benefits include comprehensive medical plans, generous PTO, and equity options.

Qualifications

• 4+ years experience in opto-mechanical product development.
• Experience in high-reliability space environments.
• Hands-on experience from prototyping to production.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing process of optical payloads.
• Design manufacturing lines for optical payload production.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet payload requirements.

Skills

Opto-mechanical design

Optical system engineering

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

Zemax

Matlab

Visual Basic

Python

C/C++

Job description

About the Role

The Electro-Optical Systems team at Planet is seeking an Opto-Mechanical Engineer to help drive the design of payloads in Planet’s fleet of Earth-imaging satellites. Your mission will be to champion our payload design efforts, with a specific focus on opto-mechanical design and manufacturing. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned opto-mechanical designer who has led optical system engineering efforts across multiple programs from conceptual design through flight. As a member of the Electro-Optical Systems team within Planet’s Space Systems division, you will be a key contributor and stakeholder in Planet’s agile aerospace approach to spacecraft design, and will work hand-in-glove with optical engineering, structural analysis, thermal engineering, and reliability & qualification, as well as the rest of Planet’s leading-edge spacecraft design and manufacturing teams.

This is a full-time, in-office position based in our San Francisco HQ 5 days per week.

Impact You'll Own

• Own the opto-mechanical manufacturing process of optical payloads on Planet’s next-generation satellites
• Design the manufacturing line for mid-volume production of optical payloads. Make first principle based, data-driven decisions throughout the design process to ensure efficient assembly and test processes
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as structural, thermal analysts and optical engineer groups to drive and perform analyses to ensure payloads meet stiffness, strength, thermal, and launch survivability requirements, as well as maintain on-orbit performance through STOP (Structural, Thermal, Optical Performance)
• Drive part and assembly design, manage fabrication with key vendors, perform failure analysis, and execute tolerance stackup and GD&T analyses to ensure precision and reliability
• Develop and maintain comprehensive design documentation
• Lead technical presentations and reviews across all design review gates
• Support test planning and qualification test campaigns
• Be hands-on with flight and test hardware

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 4+ years experience owning the development of opto-mechanical products from requirements through conceptual design, testing and manufacturing
• Experience designing for high-reliability space environments including launch survivability, vacuum conditions, on-orbit performance through thermal conditions (STOP)
• Experience in the design and fabrication of optical assemblies, incorporating components made from glass, carbon fiber, metals, ceramics, epoxies, as well as mechanisms and electrical elements
• Practical and direct engagement with hardware, from prototyping to production and testing phases
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience working in a dynamic environment while driving projects to completion
• Good verbal and visual communication skills

What Makes You Stand Out

• Expertise in optics / opto-mechanical manufacturing, metrology, alignment and calibration
• Ability to build out the manufacturing line for precision optical systems
• Experience with dynamic hardware builds, vibration and shock testing, telescope assembly, and optical performance testing
• Experience applying systems engineering principles to optimize optical payload integration, focusing on requirements management, trade-off analysis, and balancing system-level constraints such as cost, schedule, and performance
• Ability to drive manufacturers and DFM/DFA
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, Zemax, Matlab, Visual Basic, Python and/or C/C++

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

• 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

Compensation

The US base salary range for this full-time position at the commencement of employment is USD 144,500 – 180,600. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity).

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.