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Flight Software Engineer

Planet
San Francisco, California
Full Time
Posted November 25, 2025
$145k - $181k
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Job Description

The Flight Software Engineer at Planet is responsible for developing, maintaining, and optimizing embedded software for their satellite fleet, enabling reliable space operations and supporting the company's mission to deliver Earth observation data and insights.

Key Responsibilities

  • Define, develop, maintain, and optimize embedded flight software for satellites
  • Design and implement APIs and software components for satellite platforms
  • Conduct root cause analyses and implement fixes for complex bugs across hardware and software
  • Analyze system performance and propose improvements to enhance robustness and efficiency
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to define specifications, develop APIs, and produce tests and documentation
  • Design and deploy infrastructure to support satellite operations and scalability
  • Work with cross-functional teams to ensure reliable interaction with space assets

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
  • 4 years of professional software development experience, with solid proficiency in C or C++ for embedded systems RTOS or bare-metal.
  • Experience with Python for scripting, testing, and data analysis.
  • Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to a variety of stakeholders such as engineers, satellite operators, and engineering project managers.
  • Professional experience working under agile development using the Git version control system.
  • Familiarity with common hardware communication protocols such as UART, SPI, or I2C.
  • Impact ownership responsibilities including independently owning root cause investigations for complex bugs and implementing robust fixes across embedded targets including bare-metal, RTOS, and Linux-based application code.
  • Design, implementation, and testing of new features and software components for satellite platforms with minimal guidance from technical leads.
  • Analysis of system performance and proposing software improvements to enhance fleet robustness, efficiency, and capability.
  • Collaboration with stakeholders and other engineers to define specifications, develop clear component APIs, and produce comprehensive tests and documentation for the software owned.
  • The position requires access to export-controlled information, and employment is contingent upon the candidate's ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Benefits & Perks

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
Discretionary short-term and long-term incentives bonus and equity
Salary range of $144,500 - $180,600 USD (dependent on experience, skills, and location)

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