Hardware Test Engineer

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 Manufacturing Test Engineering Team is responsible for creating and maintaining the tests and infrastructure for our satellite manufacturing operations. The hardware test engineers on our team tackle projects large and small to design and build software and hardware to automate functional & integration testing, instrument calibration, and qualification testing for both production and design validation. As a member of the Manufacturing Test Engineering team, you will collaborate with design engineers to develop board-level and component-level test plans, and be responsible for designing and developing the test fixtures, test hardware and test software. This will involve working with a broad variety of disciplines, including our top-notch design, qualification, and manufacturing teams.

This is a full-time position based in our headquarters in San Francisco, CA 5 days a week.

Impact You'll Own:

• Develop test plans in collaboration with design engineers


• Design custom test fixtures, test stations, and harnessing for board, bus, and spacecraft level testing


• Develop the automation and test scripts to functionally test the hardware through various stages of manufacturing, including thermal cycle


• Continuous improvement of test software and hardware to ensure high reliability and scalability of test systems


• Troubleshoot failures and non-conformances through all stages of test in collaboration with Electrical, RF, Flight Software, Manufacturing and System Engineers and drive issues to resolution

What You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or similar


• 4+ years of experience in satellite AI&T or other manufacturing test development


• Advanced technical writing skills for authoring Test Plans


• Experience creating system diagrams as well as detailed wiring diagrams


• Experience troubleshooting hardware/software issues and identifying root causes


• Familiarity with measurement hardware and test equipment such as DMMs, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, analog and digital I/O, data acquisition systems, switch matrices, relay banks, and signal conditioning


• Experience programming in Python, especially functional tests of hardware


• Comfortable using Linux


• Experience with DVCS such as git or mercurial

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Experience in design and layout of PCBA’s for adapting or interfacing with test hardware, Altium experience a plus


• Ability to read and interpret PCBA schematics and use them to design tests and troubleshoot hardware


• Working knowledge of Boundary Scan and experience developing boundary scan tests as well as bed of nails test fixtures


• Proficient in CAD/Solidworks and experience designing, fabricating, and assembling test fixtures or hardware


• Advanced Python programming skills with a track record of developing and contributing to a large and complex code base


• Experience in design, manufacturing, or test of aerospace hardware


• Experience developing functional tests from the ground up including the development of test requirements, pass/fail criteria, test station hardware, and procedures

Application Deadline:

August 1, 2025 by 11:49 PM PDT

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

$114,200 - $142,700 USD

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 [email protected] or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.

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