Engineering Program Manager

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 Engineering Program Manager at Planet will be a fearless organizer and an excellent cross-functional leader, working with multiple teams both inside Planet and with external partners. A successful candidate will help set strategy, drive problem-solving efforts, eliminate roadblocks, execute on schedule, and be responsible for managing and communicating status and issues along the way. The position demands technical strength and experience in multiple areas, including Optical, Mechanical, Electrical, Embedded Software, RF, and Manufacturing.

This is a full-time, in-office position based in our San Francisco HQ  5 days per week.

Impact You'll Own:

• Lead satellite development programs from planning and requirements definition through critical design, build, test, and launch.
• Manage workflow, track baseline versus evolving requirements, define and control customer engagements, and ensure clarity in team roles and responsibilities.
• Develop project schedules and budgets and track performance across all project phases.
• Oversee execution of technical plans at the module and system levels, both internally and with external suppliers, including project definition, budgeting, and long-term strategic planning.
• Collaborate and coordinate with external stakeholders, including suppliers, partners, vendors, and customers, to manage deliverables, technical plans, and program milestones.
• Ensure efficient execution of all program phases, including MCR, SRR, PDR, CDR, IRR, SRR, and LRR.
• Coordinate schedules, priorities, and status updates with engineering teams, stakeholders, and management.
• Work directly with multiple engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders to drive productivity and progress on concurrent projects.
• Develop tools and processes to measure and improve engineering productivity.
• Drive root cause problem-solving, identify, and eliminate blocking issues.

What You Bring:

• BA/BS in a technically relevant field.
• 6+ years of relevant experience.
• Ability to be self-motivated and enthusiastic with proven creative and critical thinking capabilities.
• Experience in an engineering project management role for the development of software or hardware systems in a cross-functional, cross-organizational context.
• Experience working with and managing external partners, suppliers, vendors, and customers to drive program success.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, including externally to customers.
• Experience leading operational projects from evaluation and design to execution.

What Makes You Stand Out: 

• Experience applying agile software development practices.
• Experience managing spacecraft hardware and software build and release cycles.
• Proven ability to work on assignments that require data evaluation, recommendation development, and decision-making.
• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, and analytical skills, with the ability to evolve product strategy based on research, data, and industry trends.
• Background in both Mechanical and Electrical engineering.
• Track record of successfully delivering projects.
• Experience in managing regular information flow with a customer, including technical, schedule, and risk program status.

Application Deadline:

June 18, 2025 by 11:59pm PST

EAR/ITAR Requirements:

This position requires access to export-cont