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Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer Verified today

Planet Labs · San Francisco, CA · Space Systems · first seen 2026-07-16
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Impact You'll Own

  • Interface mission specifications between customer and Planet's teams
  • Assess system level budgets for engineering trades and feasibility studies
  • Collaborate with mission operations and data product teams to ensure satellite system meets customer needs
  • Participate in assembly, integration and testing (AI&T) of satellite systems for test planning and anomaly resolution
  • Provide verification and validation of satellite and ground systems, including environmental, functional, and end-to-end testing
  • Lead technical coordination of Mechanical, Thermal, ADSCS/GNC, Propulsion, Electrical, and Manufacturing engineering teams

What You Bring

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or similar
  • 5+ years experience in design and development of satellite systems
  • Customer-facing experience in briefings and design reviews
  • Understanding of one or multiple satellite subsystems: Mechanical, Thermal, ADSCS/GNC, Propulsion, or Electrical
  • Familiarity with requirements formulation, validation, and verification best practices
  • Experience with vehicle testing, including functional and environmental testing

What Makes You Stand Out

  • Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or similar
  • 7+ years experience in satellite industry including design/analysis, AI&T and/or V&V
  • Familiarity with NASA GEVS and SMC-S-16 standards for small satellites (50-200 kg)
  • Remote sensing experience related to electro-optical payloads
  • Knowledge of design for space environment best practice
  • Experience with constellation design or orbital simulations in custom tool suites or STK
  • Understanding of ground segment architecture including mission control and mission processing elements

Compensation and Employment

Full-time position. San Francisco base salary range: $162,600 to $203,200 USD. Eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity). Final salary determined by job-related experience, skills and location.

Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans; HSA with company contribution; generous paid time off plus holidays; 16 weeks paid parental leave; wellness and EAP programs; home office reimbursement; monthly phone and internet reimbursement; tuition reimbursement and LinkedIn Learning access; equity; commuter benefits if local to office; and volunteering paid time off.

Requirements

This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent on the candidate's ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Application deadline: December 11, 2026 by 11:59 PM CET.