Senior Software Engineer: Satellite Mission Optimization

Planet Labs PBC; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 163,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Paid time off

Parental leave (16 weeks)

Wellness program

Home office reimbursement

Phone and internet reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement

Equity

Commuter benefits

Volunteer PTO

Job summary

Planet Labs PBC is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Mission Optimization team in San Francisco. You will own optimization initiatives end-to-end, from framing problems with data to implementing production solutions, collaborating with spacecraft, imaging, and systems engineering teams.

This hybrid role requires 3 days onsite in SF. You will design and maintain software that schedules and optimizes satellite activities, analyze operational data, and mentor other engineers while aligning

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, CS, or a related technical field.
• Strong Python proficiency and experience shipping reliable systems.
• Ability to drive ambiguous problems to measurable outcomes with minimal direction.
• Data-driven analysis of large operational datasets.
• Effective written and verbal communication.
• Experience mentoring or leading other engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own optimization initiatives end to end—from problem definition to measurement against fleet KPIs.
• Design, develop, and maintain mission-critical software that schedules and optimizes activities.
• Define concepts of operations for current and future missions with cross-team collaboration.
• Analyze operational data to surface inefficiencies and justify improvements.
• Act as a technical advisor and mentor engineers; represent the team's position with stakeholders.

Skills

Software engineering

Python

Communication skills

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or CS

Tools

Git

GitLab

Docker

CI/CD

Linux

Sentry

Datadog

Job description

Planet Labs PBC is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Mission Optimization team in San Francisco. You will own optimization initiatives end-to-end, from framing problems with data to implementing production solutions, collaborating with spacecraft, imaging, and systems engineering teams.

This hybrid role requires 3 days onsite in SF. You will design and maintain software that schedules and optimizes satellite activities, analyze operational data, and mentor other engineers while aligning