Engineering Program Manager

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-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
• Remote-friendly work environment 
• 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.