Senior Flight Software Engineer

Planet•San Francisco, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Planet’s Flight Software Team develops and maintains embedded software for its Superdove, SkySat, Pelican, and Tanager satellite fleets. The team works across areas including navigation and avionics, payload control, radio software, and supporting tools and infrastructure, collaborating with teams such as Payload, EE, RF, Ground Stations, and Missions. The Senior Flight Software Engineer for Superdove will lead ongoing development, verification, and on-orbit anomaly escalation for Planet’s existing satellite platform. The role involves learning how on-orbit software interacts with hardware, firmware, Satellite Operations, and the physical environment in low Earth orbit; designing and implementing improved flight software; and supporting new requirements and circuit designs. The engineer will use Mission Control and telemetry to understand software behavior at orbital scale and work with domain experts and cross-functional teams to improve efficiency, productivity, and hardware/software integration. The role also partners with Manufacturing and Manufacturing Test to support successful satellite builds. This is a full-time, hybrid role requiring work from Planet’s San Francisco office three days per week. The position requires access to export-controlled information, so employment is contingent on being able to access applicable information without additional export licensing.

Requirements

Experience with Ubuntu and/or Debian Linux distributions.
Experience with embedded C, with or without an RTOS; STM32 experience is preferred in the posting’s description of this requirement.
Experience with C and C++ application code on UNIX/Linux.
Knowledge of Python 3 and Python 2.
Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a similar field, or equivalent work experience.
Ability to use lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and voltmeters to investigate software and system behavior.
At least 6 years of experience designing and developing software systems.
Ability to maintain existing systems, analyze system performance using data, and investigate complex system behaviors.

Nice To Haves

Experience using Linux in embedded environments such as kiosk or vehicle platforms.
Knowledge of 8051 microprocessors.
Experience using FPGAs and/or software that interfaces with FPGA designs.
Understanding of PC architecture, including BIOS/EFI, PCIe and USB peripheral interfaces, and SATA and eMMC storage.
Experience maintaining and/or operating a deployed fleet of embedded systems with telemetry and other observability features.

Responsibilities

Develop improved software systems for the Superdove spacecraft.
Identify and implement opportunities for efficiency and productivity gains.
Learn existing systems with flight software experts, gather improvement ideas, plan long-term projects, and deliver sustained value.
Build automated testing to increase confidence in Flight Software system quality.
Collaborate with Missions Systems, Satellite Operations, Satellite Security, Systems Engineering, Ground Station Operations, and other teams to ensure Flight Software meets customer needs.
Partner with Manufacturing and Manufacturing Test teams to streamline satellite builds and system integration.
Lead ongoing software development, verification, and on-orbit anomaly escalation for Superdove.
Use Mission Control and telemetry to understand software behavior on an orbital scale.
Work with domain experts in RF, ADCS, EE, FPGA, and Flight Software on software improvements, new requirements, and circuit designs.