Associate, Space Operations
About The Position
The Space Operations team is crucial to Planet's success, responsible for maintaining and optimizing the health and productivity of the world's largest Earth Observation satellite constellation. Our team spans North America and Berlin. Given the scale of our fleet, automation is at the heart of our operations. You'll develop and maintain critical software, transforming large datasets into actionable metrics. As an Associate in Space Operations, you'll support daily satellite operations, analyze data, triage and resolve anomalies, run on-orbit experiments, test and deploy software both on the ground and in orbit, and commission satellites. We are looking for a data-driven self-starter with effective communication skills that collaborates well within a technical team and adapts quickly to changing tasks and contexts. You'll work closely with hardware and software experts across teams to debug anomalies, enhance or create services, and provide operational insights to shape our next-generation satellites. This is a part-time, temporary role which is expected to last 12 months. This is a hybrid position which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week.
Requirements
- Currently enrolled at an accredited university for an advanced degree in an Engineering, Aerospace, or Software, or Science related field
- Software development experience, particularly in Python or similar languages
- Familiarity with the space environment and its challenges
- Data-driven mindset with experience in statistical analysis
- Effective interpersonal and collaboration skills within a technical team
- Self-starter that proactively tackles problems and brings in their own ideas
- Comfortable working in a dynamic environment
Nice To Haves
- Understanding of space environment and space operations
- Proficiency in DevOps tools and practices (e.g. Git, GitLab, Docker, Jenkins, Bash, Linux, CI/CD, Sentry, Datadog)
- Practical expertise in data analysis for problem-solving
- Familiarity with automation and optimization tools
- Contributions to open-source software projects
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain real-time, mission-critical software solutions for satellite operations
- Support daily fleet checks, including identifying, triaging, and resolving satellite anomalies
- Write scripts to aggregate satellite data and generate system monitoring metrics
- Test and deploy flight software upgrades, debug satellite anomalies, and perform on-orbit experiments
- Create and maintain operational procedures
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
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Entry Level
