Associate, Space Operations at Planet in San Francisco, CA

Job description

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 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. Impact You'll Own: 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 What You Bring: Actively enrolled in an accredited university programme 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 What Makes You Stand Out: 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 Application Deadline: 11:45p / 23:45 PT 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. EAR/ITAR Requirements: This position requires access to expo