Senior Flight Software Engineer

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

About the Role:

Planet’s Flight Software Team is responsible for all of the embedded software that powers our diverse fleet of Superdove, Skysat, Pelican, and Tanager satellites. The software we build and maintain deploys to orbiting spacecraft hundreds of kilometers away and spans many functional verticals, including navigation and avionics, payload control, radio software, and supporting tooling and infrastructure. We collaborate closely with many other teams at Planet, including Payload, EE, RF, Ground Stations, and Missions teams, to deliver reliable and innovative solutions that ensure the success of Planet’s missions. As a Senior Flight Software Engineer for Superdove, you will lead ongoing development, verification, and on-orbit anomaly escalation for Planet’s core satellite platform. In this role, you will work with domain experts to design improved flight software, optimize operational efficiency, and ensure seamless hardware and software integration. Ideal candidates are curious, data-driven, and passionate about scaling orbital systems.

We are currently seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead ongoing development, verification, and on-orbit anomaly escalation for Planet’s existing satellite platform, Superdove. As a Senior Flight Software Engineer, you will develop a deep understanding of existing on-orbit software systems and how the software interacts with hardware, firmware, Satellite Operations, and the complex physical environment found in LEO. You will work closely with Manufacturing and Manufacturing Test to ensure successful satellite builds. You will work with domain experts in RF, ADCS, EE, FPGA, and our Flight Software team to design and implement improved flight software, and to support new requirements and circuit designs. You will use systems including Mission Control and telemetry to understand the behavior of our software on orbital scale, and will work with teams across Space Systems to deliver improved efficiency and productivity of our core Superdove imaging platform.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week.

Impact You'll Own:

Develop improved software systems for the Superdove spacecraft

Identify opportunities for efficiency and productivity gains, and implement them

Work with FSW experts to deeply learn how existing systems work, gather ideas for how to improve them, plan long-term improvement projects, and deliver sustained value over months.

Build automated testing to increase confidence in the quality of our Flight Software systems.

Collaborate with Missions Systems, Satellite Operations, Satellite Security, Systems Engineering, Ground Station Operations, and other teams to ensure that Flight Software meets the needs of our customers.

Partner with Manufacturing and Manufacturing Test teams to streamline satellite builds and system integration.

What You Bring:

Experience with Ubuntu and/or Debian distributions of Linux.

Experience with embedded C with or without an RTOS, preferably on STM32.

Experience with C and C++ application code on UNIX/Linux.

Knowledge of Python 3 and Python 2.

Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or similar; or equivalent work experience.

Ability to use lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, voltmeters, and similar to investigate software and system behavior.

6+ years of experience in the design and development of software systems.

Ability to maintain existing systems, analyze system performance using data, and investigate complex system behaviors.

What Makes You Stand Out:

Experience using Linux in embedded environments such as kiosk or vehicle platforms.

Knowledge of 8051 microprocessors.

Experience using FPGAs and/or software that interfaces with FPGA designs

Understanding of the PC architecture such as BIOS/EFI, PCIe and USB peripheral interfaces, SATA and EMMC storage, and the like.

Experience maintaining and/or operating a deployed fleet of embedded systems with telemetry and other observability features.

Application Deadline:

11:45p / 23:45 PT on the date stated below. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting may be removed earlier than projected if a suitable pool of applications has been received. For this reason, we recommend applying as soon as you are able to.

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:

These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.

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.

San Francisco Salary Range

$162,600 — $203,200 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