Senior Data Engineer

Planet; Denver, Washington (CO, District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 160,600 - 200,800; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Equity

Paid time off

Wellness program

Job summary

Planet is hiring a Senior Data Engineer to architect and build production‑scale data ecosystems using cloud technologies. You will partner with product and engineering to deliver robust, scalable data solutions and guide end‑to‑end data architectures from design to production integration.

The role focuses on global monitoring products, leveraging Python/SQL, and modern toolchains like GitLab CI and Docker/Kubernetes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in data engineering with leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

Responsibilities

• Architect and oversee high‑availability data pipelines and ecosystems.
• Collaborate with product and engineering leaders to shape a long‑term data strategy.
• Mentor peers and uphold code quality and CI/CD standards across the Data Team.

Skills

Data engineering

Python

SQL

CI/CD

GitLab CI

Docker

Kubernetes

Cloud architecture

Parquet

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

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 a 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 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.

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.

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)

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)

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: $172,200 – $215,200 USD

San Francisco: $182,900 – $228,600 USD

US National: $160,600 – $200,800 USD

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.