Engineering Program Manager — Special Projects

planetlabs

San Francisco, CA · San Francisco · United States

Posted Jun 26, 2026

Full-time
Hybrid
Engineering Program Management

Apply on company site

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 Engineering Program Manager (EPM) for Special Projects will be a fearless organizer and an excellent cross-functional leader. Working directly with the security, engineering, and cross-functional space program teams, you will drive project management efforts specifically focused on space security initiatives. In this tactical, "in-the-weeds" role, you will help establish programmatic strategy, coordinate schedules, and ruthlessly eliminate roadblocks to ensure our constellations remain secure, robust, and compliant.

This role demands a solid baseline of technical strength. Some domain experience in cybersecurity or space security is required, along with a healthy technical aptitude is necessary to credibly navigate engineering design discussions, facilitate high-stakes technical tradeoffs, and represent the security team as a critical programmatic stakeholder across multiple concurrent satellite missions.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week.

Impact You'll Own:

Drive end-to-end project management workflows specifically for Satellite Security, translating security milestones into actionable engineering sprints.
Partner shoulder-to-shoulder with the SatSec Manager to architect, baseline, and meticulously maintain the overall SatSec programmatic schedule and critical project milestones.
Attend multidisciplinary engineering and program meetings to actively track space security requirements, managing dependencies and representing the security team as a core stakeholder during project planning and architectural tradeoffs.
Manage tactical logistics for the team as needed, including processing purchase orders (POs), tracking equipment ordering, and managing vendor deliverables.
Actively manage program risks, identify structural dependencies, and support development on new satellite programs and products.

What You Bring:

6+ years of relevant experience in engineering program management or technical project management within a dynamic hardware, software, or aerospace environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
A solid technical baseline with a "roll-up-your-sleeves" mentality, enabling you to engage deeply with complex systems and translate technical engineering constraints into high-level programmatic impacts.
Exceptional written and verbal communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to stay highly organized, manage schedule health, and drive consensus across diverse, high-stakes environments.

What Makes You Stand Out:

Experience managing spacecraft hardware and software build and release cycles.
Deep technical fluency in at least one spacecraft specialization (e.g., operations, avionics, software) allowing you to engage credibly with engineers on complex trade-offs.
Familiarity with space security, hardware security, or aerospace cryptography architectures.
A track record of successfully delivering complex hardware products through the entire development lifecycle against all odds.

Application Deadline:

September 29, 2026 by 11:59p / 23:59 CET (Central European Time)

EAR/ITAR Requirements:

This position requires access to export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) 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 While Working at Planet:

These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.

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

Compensation:

The US base salary range for this full-time position at the commencement of employment is listed below. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity). The final salary range is determined by job related experience, skills and location. The range displays our typical hiring range for new hire salaries in US locations only. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

San Francisco Salary Range

$162,600—$203,200 USD

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Why we care so much about Belonging.
We’re dedicated to helping the whole Planet, and to do that we must strive to represent all of it within each of our offices and on all of our teams. That’s why Planet is guided by an ultimate north star of Belonging—dreaming big as we approach our ongoing work. If this job intrigues you, but you’re thinking you might not have all the qualifications, please... do apply! At Planet, we are looking for well-rounded people from around the world who can contribute to more ways than just what is listed in this job description. We don’t just fill positions, we aspire to fulfill people’s careers, most excited about folks who are motivated by our underlying humanitarian efforts. We are a few orbits around the sun before we get to where we want to be, so we hope you’re excited to come along for the ride.

EEO statement:
Planet is committed to building a community where everyone belongs and we invite people from all backgrounds to apply. Planet is an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Know Your Rights.

Accommodations:
Planet is an inclusive community and we know that everyone has their own needs. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during the hiring process, please reach out to accommodations@planet.com or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.

Privacy Policy: By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Planet Data Privacy Notice for California Staff Members and Applicants, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.

Privacy Policy (European Applicants): By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Candidate Privacy Notice GDPR Planet Labs Europe, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.

AI in Our Interviewing Process: Planet is committed to providing an exceptional interview experience for all candidates. We currently use Metaview to better focus on candidates and less on trying to capture notes. As such, with the candidate's consent, select interviews may be recorded and include a "Planet AI Notetaker" for transcription and summarization purposes. Should an interview involve use of AI interview technologies, the candidate will receive notification and have the ability to opt out both in advance and/or real-time. Opting out will not affect one's candidacy.

Candidate AI Policy: Planet embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, and we encourage its responsible use. We understand that candidates may use various resources, including AI tools, to prepare for interviews and assessments. However, during any live interview stage or when actively completing assessments for this position, the use of AI tools—e.g. Large Language Models (LLMs), deep fake technology, etc.—is strictly prohibited unless explicitly prompted by an interviewer or assessment instructions. If you are unsure about acceptable use, please contact your recruiter for clarification. If an AI tool or similar technology is desired as an accommodation, please contact accommodations@planet.com with your request for assistance. Your message will be confidential, and we will be happy to assist you. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification of your application.