Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer

The role

You will serve as a spacecraft technical lead supporting the development of Pelican Spacecraft. You will perform mission assessment, verification and validation, and support assembly, integration and testing.

What you will do

• Interface mission specifications between customer and Planet teams
• Assess system level budgets for engineering trades and feasibility studies
• Collaborate with mission operations and data product teams
• Participate in assembly, integration and testing (AI&T) for test planning and anomaly resolution
• Provide verification and validation of satellite and ground systems
• Lead technical coordination of multiple engineering teams

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or similar
• 6-8 years of experience in the design and development of satellite systems
• Customer facing experience in briefings and design reviews
• Understanding of one or multiple satellite subsystems, including Mechanical, Thermal, ADSCS/GNC, Propulsion, or Electrical
• Familiarity with requirements formulation, validation, and verification best practices
• Experience with vehicle testing, including both functional and environmental testing

Nice to have

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or similar
• 7+ years of experience working in the satellite industry, including design/analysis, AI&T and/or V&V
• Familiar with industry standards including NASA GEVS and SMC-S-16 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
• Excellent understanding of ground segment architecture including mission control and mission processing elements

Benefits

• 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

Before you apply

• Employment is contingent upon the ability to access export-controlled information without additional export licensing

About the company

Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. They are both a space company and a data company.