Engineering Program Manager

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 Engineering Program Manager at Planet will be a fearless organizer and an excellent cross-functional leader, working with multiple teams both inside Planet and with external partners. A successful candidate will help set strategy, drive problem-solving efforts, eliminate roadblocks, execute on schedule, and be responsible for managing and communicating status and issues along the way. The position demands broad technical strength and experience in multiple areas of spacecraft design, manufacturing, test and operations.

This is a full-time, in-office position based in our San Francisco HQ at least 3 days per week.

Impact You'll Own:

• Lead satellite development programs from planning and requirements definition through critical design, build, test, and launch.

• Ensure efficient execution of all program phases, including MCR, SRR, PDR, CDR, IRR, SRR, and LRR.

• Develop project schedules and budgets and track performance across all project phases.

• Oversee execution of technical plans at all levels, both internally and with external suppliers, including project definition, budgeting, and long-term strategic planning.

• Collaborate and coordinate with external stakeholders, including suppliers, partners, vendors, and customers, to manage deliverables, technical plans, and program milestones.

• Coordinate schedules, priorities, and status updates with engineering teams, stakeholders, and management.

• Work directly with multiple engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders to drive productivity and progress on concurrent projects.

• Develop tools and processes to measure and improve engineering productivity.

• Drive root cause problem-solving, identify, and eliminate blocking issues.

What You Bring:

• BA/BS in a technically relevant field.

• 4+ years of relevant experience.

• Ability to be self-motivated and enthusiastic with proven creative and critical thinking capabilities.

• Experience in an engineering project management role for the development of hardware systems in a cross-functional, cross-organizational context.

• Experience working with and managing external partners, suppliers, vendors, and customers to drive program success.

• Excellent written and verbal communication and facilitation skills, including externally to customers.

• Experience leading operational projects from evaluation and design to execution.

What Makes You Stand Out: 

• Experience managing spacecraft hardware and software build and release cycles.

• Experience with scaling systems on satellite manufacturing

• Experience applying agile software development practices.

• Ability to work on assignments that require data evaluation, recommendation development, and decision-making.

• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, and analytical skills, with the ability to evolve product strategy based on research, data, and industry trends.

• Deep understanding of at least one spacecraft specialization like optics, operations, avionics, software

• Experience successfully delivering projects.

Application Deadline:

October 25, 2025 by 11:59 PM PDT

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

$144,500—$180,600 USD

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’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.

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