Senior Data Engineer

Planetlabs; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 161,000 - 229,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & dental plans

HSA with company contribution

Paid time off

Parental leave 16 weeks

Wellness & EAP

Home office reimbursement

Phone & internet reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement

Equity

Commuter benefits

Volunteering PTO

Job summary

Planet is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to own and build production-grade data ecosystems using modern cloud technologies, enabling mission-critical, customer-facing products. You will translate complex requirements into scalable, end-to-end data solutions and mentor a data team within our Software Engineering group.

You will focus on global monitoring data systems for high-velocity insights, collaborating with Product and Engineering leadership to meet the needs of defense and intelligence

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience in data engineering with a track record of technical leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Expertise in designing and implementing end-to-end data architectures for global-scale, customer-facing solutions, with a focus on data integrity and efficiency.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL for complex ETL/ELT pipeline construction, including event-driven data architectures.

Responsibilities

• Architect and oversee robust, high-availability data pipelines while establishing the standards for maintaining, troubleshooting, and optimizing existing ecosystems.
• Collaborate with global product, commercial and engineering leads and peers to design and execute a long-term data strategy for products in your scope.
• Drive high-level mentorship, technical design reviews, and architectural integrity across the Data Team while setting standards for code quality.

Skills

Data engineering

Technical leadership

Python

SQL

Communication

CI/CD

Cloud (GCP)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

GitLab CI

Docker

Kubernetes

Parquet

dbt

Terraform

Job description

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 worldwide and joining us from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.

About the Role:

As a Senior Data Engineer (DE) at Planet, you will own, architect and build production, enterprise-scale data ecosystems using modern cloud technologies, to power mission-critical, customer-facing products. You will act as a strategic partner to cross-functional stakeholders, translating complex requirements into robust, scalable solutions. You will build and design data solutions end to end: from high-level architecture and implementation to CI/CD, orchestration automated QA, and seamless integration into production systems. You’ll be a senior member of the Data Team within the Software Engineering organization, which is made up of data scientists, engineers and analysts working on similar tasks across Planet domains.

Your scope will focus on the architecture and evolution of data systems supporting our global monitoring products. These products are vital offerings designed to provide persistent, high-cadence monitoring and active intelligence, particularly for our Defence and Intelligence customers. You will collaborate closely with leadership across Product and Engineering to ensure some of our most sophisticated customers have the data required for global security and rapid decision-making. This role is ideal for an expert data engineer looking to lead the evolution of complex systems and deliver transformative technology to the defense sector. The ideal candidate is an independent operator who thrives in a dynamic, global environment and is deeply passionate about Planet’s mission and national security solutions.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our Washington DC or Denver CO office 3 days per week.

Impact You'll Own:

• Architect and oversee robust, high-availability data pipelines while establishing the standards for maintaining, troubleshooting, and optimizing existing ecosystems.
• Collaborate with global product, commercial and engineering leads and peers to design and execute a long-term data strategy for products in your scope.
• Drive high-level mentorship, technical design reviews, and architectural integrity across the Data Team while setting standards for code quality.

What You Bring:

• 10+ years of relevant experience in data engineering with a track record of technical leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Expertise in designing and implementing end-to-end data architectures for global-scale, customer-facing solutions, with a focus on data integrity and efficiency.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL for complex ETL/ELT pipeline construction, including event-driven data architectures.
• Proactive, self-starter mindset with the ability to lead problem-solving initiatives in a dynamic, high-stakes environment.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate between technical execution and high-level business requirements.
• Deep experience in maintaining enterprise-grade, peer-reviewed codebases and advanced CI/CD workflows using GitLab CI, Docker, and Kubernetes.
• Significant experience with cloud-native architectures (GCP preferred).
• Experience tuning storage formats such as Parquet to ensure sub-second query performance for consumers.

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Experience using modern data tooling (e.g. dbt) for pipeline inputs to customer-facing production systems.
• Experience leveraging Infrastructure as Code tooling (e.g. Terraform) to manage cloud architecture.
• Experience architecting solutions for geospatial datasets.
• Knowledge of earth observation and/or satellite operation concepts.

Application Deadline:

October 1, 2026 by 11:59p / 23:59 CET (Central European Time)

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 listed below. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity). The final salary range is determined by job related experience, skills and location. The range displays our typical hiring range for new hire salaries in US locations only. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

New York City + California Salary Range: $172,200 — $215,200 USD

San Francisco Salary Range: $182,900 — $228,600 USD

US National Salary Range: $160,600 — $200,800 USD

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 [e-mail] or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.