Satellite Data Processing 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 Planets data to develop new technologies drive revenue power research and solve our worlds 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:

Image Quality Support (IQS) makes sure Planets imagery meets that bar. We sit between imaging operations satellite operations software engineering and the business close enough to engineering to build our own tools close enough to customers to know what quality means to them.

Were looking for a Satellite Data Processing Engineer to help assess and automate imagery quality across Planets satellite fleet. Youll split your time between hands-on visual QA and writing the software that scales it a hybrid of remote-sensing know-how and software engineering building up both with guidance from senior teammates.

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

Impact Youll Own:

• Assess satellite imagery manually and via automated tooling against contractual and technical quality standards.
• Help build and maintain the internal tools that power quality assessment from QGIS-based QA tooling to backend scripts and data pipelines.
• Support investigations into customer-reported quality disputes gathering technical evidence for the teams decisions.
• Contribute to the teams automated quality-assessment systems helping shift routine checks from manual review into automation.
• Write clear reports and tickets that other engineering teams can act on.

What You Bring:

• 2 years of relevant experience.
• Bachelors degree in geoinformatics geomatics remote sensing or a closely related field.
• A working understanding of optical remote sensing fundamentals.
• Solid Python skills: comfortable with version control code review and writing more than one-off scripts.
• Exposure to QGIS or Python geospatial libraries (e.g. GDAL rasterio shapely).
• Basic SQL / database familiarity.
• Clear written communication: you can explain a technical finding to a non-specialist.

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Linux comfort.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitLab CI).
• Any exposure to desktop GUI development (e.g. PySide6/Qt) or building small internal tools end-to-end.

Application Deadline:

11:45p / 23:45 CET 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.

Export Control Requirements:

Planet Labs Germany GmbH is authorized to receive U.S. export-controlled information at Planet under an export license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security. This position requires access to U.S. and German/EU export-controlled information and as such employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidates ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by German EU or U.S. authorities.

Benefits While Working at Planet:

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

• Paid time off including vacation holidays and company-wide days off
• Employee Wellness Program
• Home Office Reimbursement
• Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
• Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
• Equity
• Volunteering Paid Time Off

Compensation:

The expected starting gross salary range for this role is listed below. Individual placement within this range is determined objectively based on gender-neutral criteria such as your skills qualifications and professional experience. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity.

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.
Were 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. Thats why Planet is guided by an ultimate north star of Belongingdreaming big as we approach our ongoing work. If this job intrigues you but youre 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 dont just fill positions we aspire to fulfill peoples 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 youre 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 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.

AI in Our Interviewing Process: Planet is committed to providing an exceptional interview experience for all candidates. We currently use Metaview to better focus on candidates and less on trying to capture notes. As such with the candidates consent select interviews may be recorded and include a Planet AI Notetaker for transcription and summarization purposes. Should an interview involve use of AI interview technologies the candidate will receive notification and have the ability to opt out both in advance and/or real-time. Opting out will not affect ones candidacy.

Candidate AI Policy: Planet embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and we encourage its responsible use. We understand that candidates may use various resources including AI tools to prepare for interviews and assessments. However during any live interview stage or when actively completing assessments for this position the use of AI toolse.g. Large Language Models (LLMs) deep fake technology strictly prohibited unless explicitly prompted by an interviewer or assessment instructions. If you are unsure about acceptable use please contact your recruiter for clarification. If an AI tool or similar technology is desired as an accommodation please contact with your request for assistance. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification of your application.