Working Student, SpaceOps

The Space Operations team is crucial to Planet's success, responsible for maintaining and optimizing the health and productivity of the world's largest Earth Observation satellite constellation. Our team spans North America and Berlin. Given the scale of our fleet, automation is at the heart of our operations. You'll develop and maintain critical software, transforming large datasets into actionable metrics.

As a Working Student, you'll support daily satellite operations, analyze data, triage and resolve anomalies, run on-orbit experiments, test and deploy software both on the ground and in orbit, and commission satellites. You'll work closely with hardware and software experts across teams to debug anomalies, enhance or create services, and provide operational insights to shape our next-generation satellites.

We are looking for a data-driven self-starter with effective communication skills that collaborates well within a technical team and adapts quickly to changing tasks and contexts.

This part-time, hybrid role is based at our Berlin office which will require you to work from our Berlin office 3 days per week.

Impact You’ll Own:

Develop and maintain real-time, mission-critical software solutions for satellite operations

Write scripts to aggregate satellite data and generate system monitoring metrics

Analyze data to identify issues and inefficiencies in the full stack of services and propose solutions to improve productivity

Drive improvements to fleet capacity and productivity through process enhancements

Monitor satellite health and perform on-orbit experiments

What You Bring:

Ongoing BSc in engineering or computer science

Proficiency in software development, particularly in Python or equivalent languages

Data-driven mindset with experience in statistical analysis

Proactive, self-starter approach to engineering and problem-solving

Effective interpersonal and collaboration skills within a technical team

What Makes You Stand Out:

Experience with agile software development

Experience with DevOps tools and practices (e.g., Git, GitLab, Docker, Jenkins, Bash, Linux, CI/CD, Sentry, Datadog)

Familiarity with satellite engineering and/or the space environment and its challenges

Hands-on experience operating spacecraft or remote systems

Familiarity with automation and optimization tools

Contributions to open-source software projects

Application Deadline:

11:45p / 23:45 CET on the date stated below. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting may be removed earlier than projected if a suitable pool of applications has been received. For this reason, we recommend applying as soon as you are able to.

Export Control Requirements:

Planet Labs Germany GmbH is authorized to receive U.S. export-controlled information at Planet under an export license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security. This position requires access to U.S. and German/EU 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 German, EU, or U.S. authorities.

Benefits While Working at Planet:

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

Paid time off including vacation, holidays and company-wide days off

Employee Wellness Program

Home Office Reimbursement

Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement

Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning

Equity

Volunteering Paid Time Off

Compensation:

The expected starting gross salary range for this role is listed below. Individual placement within this range is determined objectively based on gender-neutral criteria such as your skills, qualifications, and professional experience. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity.

Germany Salary Range

$18—$18 USD

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