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:
The Electro-Optical Systems team is looking for a Senior Camera Engineer to help us operate, optimize, and further develop the largest camera constellation ever deployed in space! We are responsible for system-level analysis, operations, simulations and development for our earth observation payload. We are a small, agile team that works at the intersection of hardware, software, and product engineering teams in the Spacecraft group.
As a Senior Camera Engineer, you will be responsible for the full-lifecycle of our imaging systems, from design and development to testing and in-orbit operations. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to optimize camera performance, ensuring the highest-quality imagery is captured by our earth observation payloads. This role involves conducting detailed system-level analysis, troubleshooting, and improving the performance of our existing camera systems, while also driving innovation for future payloads. You'll leverage your expertise in optics, imaging, and data processing to help us push the boundaries of space-based photography and contribute to our mission of global environmental monitoring.
The role will appeal to candidates that enjoy the interchange between photography, science, systems engineering, and operations.
This role will require you to be physically present at our headquarters in San Francisco, CA, 3+ days a week.
Impact You’ll Own:
- Characterizing new sensors in terms of resolution and radiometry in the lab
- Leading camera assembly, integration and test (AI&T) efforts
- Developing lab and space-borne camera calibration automation methods
- Developing and validating camera performance and payload performance metrics
- Troubleshooting camera image quality issues and developing long-term mitigations and improvements
- Contributing to the design and modeling of new imaging systems and operating modes
- Collaborating with Satellite Operations, Imaging Pipeline, hardware (Optics/Electrical Engineering), and embedded software teams
What You Bring:
- Bachelor of Science in an Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or relevant scientific/engineering field
- 10+ years working with imaging systems, optics, detectors, image quality, calibration, and noise characterization
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills and an ability to collaborate effectively
- Excellent lab/instrumentation experience with ability to test, evaluate and automate camera and hardware development
- Expertise with image processing fundamentals and ability to perform trade studies of cameras, detectors, optics and image processing
- Experience taking the lead on challenging projects
- Experience with CI/CD and software automation best practices with Jenkins and Docker
- Experience with Linux sysadmin tools (bash scripting, network configuration) and DVCS, such as Git
What Makes You Stand Out:
- Experience with CI/CD and software automation best practices with Jenkins and Docker
- Experience with Agile methodologies to develop quality instrumentation
- Deep familiarity with camera vendors and standards
- Masters of Science and/or PhD in EE, CS, AA or relevant scientific/engineering field
- Experience in opto-mechanics, rapid iteration, consumer electronics, thermal, and/or simulation
- Experience in Solidworks, Zemax, Altium, Python, and/or C++
- Experience leveraging scientific MATLAB, and/or Verilog/System Verilog in a Linux/GCS/AWS environment to develop and automate novel imaging algorithm
- Experience with low-level programming and debugging for embedded development (C/C++) and/or RTL for FPGA platforms
EAR/ITAR Requirements:
This position requires access to export-controlled technology, and as such, and in accordance to applicable law, employment is only open to US citizens, US nationals, lawful permanent residents of the US or persons admitted to the US as an asylee or refugee.
Benefits While Working at Planet:
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
- Health Savings Account(HSA) with a company contribution
- Flexible Time Off in addition to holidays and company global days off
- Generous Parental Leave
- Remote friendly work environment
- Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Home Office Reimbursement
- Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
- Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
- Equity Options
- Commuter Benefits
- Volunteering Benefits
Compensation:
The US base salary range for this full-time position at the commencement of employment is $162,600 - $203,200. 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.
This position requires access to export controlled technology, and as such, employment will be contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access EAR and/or ITAR controlled technology pursuant to an export license approved by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, if required.
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 with diversity, equity and inclusion. 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 accommodations@planet.com or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.
Privacy Policy: By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Planet Data Privacy Notice for California Staff Members and Applicants, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.
Privacy Policy (European Applicants): By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Candidate Privacy Notice GDPR Planet Labs Europe, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.
Other Jobs from Planet
Senior Java Software Engineer
Java Software Engineer– Terminal Systems
Java Software Engineer – Terminal Developer
Integration Engineer (Oracle POS/PMS)
Senior QA Engineer
There are more than 50,000 engineering jobs:
Subscribe to membership and unlock all jobs
Engineering Jobs
60,000+ jobs from 4,500+ well-funded companies
Updated Daily
New jobs are added every day as companies post them
Refined Search
Use filters like skill, location, etc to narrow results
Become a member
🥳🥳🥳 401 happy customers and counting...
Overall, over 80% of customers chose to renew their subscriptions after the initial sign-up.
To try it out
For active job seekers
For those who are passive looking
Cancel anytime
Frequently Asked Questions
- We prioritize job seekers as our customers, unlike bigger job sites, by charging a small fee to provide them with curated access to the best companies and up-to-date jobs. This focus allows us to deliver a more personalized and effective job search experience.
- Salaries for the engineering jobs on our site range from $100K-$200K. On average, senior engineer positions on our EchoJobs are about $160K.
- The EchoJobs positions have been sourced and vetted from the top companies to work for in the US as a software engineer, including LinkedIn and other reputable job sites. We also have syndicated jobs from companies that have just raised funding, as well as those that have great unique products and culture. From all of these sources, our founder, Morgan, has also resourced the company's authenticity in terms of their website, public appearance, and more.
- Yes, our users asked us for just this, so now our search filters allow you to search for your top jobs via location, as well as by onsite, remote, or both. Approximately 30% of our jobs are remote, so you’ve got the best options for you!
- We have not yet implemented this option, but are considering doing so in the future. For the moment, you would need to cancel your subscription, and resubscribe when you wanted to come back.
- We add new jobs to EchoJobs every day! We scan our sources for the newest jobs, verify them, and post them to EchoJobs within minutes. We add about 2,000-3,000 new jobs for you each day!
- From starting your job search to getting hired, the entire job search process can take us software engineers anywhere between 3-6 months. However, at EchoJobs, we’re striving to shorten this duration by finding the best, newest jobs for you, so you can do less job searching, and more applying.
- We’d recommend checking EchoJobs daily, as we add new jobs to the site each day. Additionally, if you got a chance to read our previous email on “what makes EchoJobs different from any other job search tools,” we also recommended that you set a job alert based on your job filters, so if you get emails on those new jobs, you could be checking more than once per day.
- If you decide to continue with us after the 1-month trial, we definitely recommend this, as we all know it usually takes 3-6 months to find a quality job as a software engineer these days. So to best support you, we just adjusted our membership options at EchoJobs to monthly, 3 months, or 12 months (this option is more for passive job seekers looking a little bit for the future if they want to come back to work or make a job switch potentially. This lets you see what’s out there in case an even better fit job becomes available.)
- EchoJobs is truly the only job site of its kind. We want to be THE spot for you to find the best job for you, and haven’t encountered any other company doing this. Other job sites are in niches besides software engineering or focus on a small portion of engineering jobs (like a specific coding language). In the words of Morgan, our founder, “I think what makes EchoJobs different is the amount of jobs, frequency that we add new jobs (we add 2,000-3,000 new jobs daily!), and the powerful search engines to find exactly the job you want more easily and efficiently. We can provide you with the most jobs that are vetted by us, we’ll continually find more new jobs for you, and we make it easier for you to apply and get hired.
What Fellow Engineers Say