Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Electrical Engineer
at Planet
🏢 About Planet
Planet operates the world's largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites, providing daily global coverage that enables governments, businesses, and researchers to monitor environmental changes, agricultural trends, and urban development. What makes Planet unique is their mission-driven focus on 'impactful stewardship' through accessible satellite data, combining cutting-edge space technology with practical applications for sustainability and global awareness. Working here means contributing to technology that literally helps see and understand our planet in new ways.
About This Role
This Senior Electrical Engineer role involves designing and validating critical electrical subsystems for Earth-imaging satellites, including analog, power, thermal, and mixed-signal circuits that ensure reliable data collection from space. The position is impactful because your designs directly enable Planet's satellites to capture timely, high-quality imagery used for climate monitoring, disaster response, and agricultural planning worldwide. You'll be responsible for taking designs from schematic capture through manufacturing, with particular emphasis on power integrity, EMI/EMC compliance, and harness design for space applications.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve reviewing schematic designs for a new thermal control subsystem, running power integrity simulations in Altium, and coordinating with mechanical engineers on harness routing for an upcoming satellite build. You could spend the afternoon troubleshooting a mixed-signal interface issue using oscilloscopes in the lab, then document validation results for EMI compliance testing before a design review meeting with cross-functional teams.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Planet Is Looking For
- Has 6+ years of hands-on experience taking PCB designs from schematics to manufacturing, specifically with power, analog, and mixed-signal circuits for aerospace or similar high-reliability applications
- Is proficient with Altium tools for PCB design and has experience with power/signal integrity simulations, harness design, and using lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers) for design validation
- Possesses excellent solder rework skills and experience with embedded systems, particularly for interfacing with thermal systems, sensors, and actuators in space environments
- Demonstrates experience overseeing design validation campaigns including EMI/EMC testing and interoperability checks, with attention to qualification requirements for satellite systems
📝 Tips for Applying to Planet
Highlight specific projects where you took analog or mixed-signal PCB designs from requirements through manufacturing, quantifying results (e.g., 'designed power subsystem achieving 92% efficiency for satellite payload')
Mention experience with Altium tools by name and describe how you used them for schematic capture, layout guidance, or simulation in previous roles
Include examples of harness design work, specifying components selected, signal definitions created, or fabrication drawings generated for aerospace applications
Demonstrate your lab skills by describing specific troubleshooting scenarios using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or multimeters to validate electrical designs
Connect your experience to Planet's mission by showing how your electrical engineering work contributed to data collection, environmental monitoring, or similar impact-focused outcomes
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your experience with end-to-end electrical design process from requirements through manufacturing, specifically for analog/power subsystems in high-reliability environments', 'Practical examples of using Altium tools for PCB design and conducting power/signal integrity simulations for complex systems', 'How your skills in harness design, component selection, and EMI/EMC validation align with satellite electrical system requirements', "Why Planet's mission of Earth observation and environmental stewardship resonates with your engineering values and career goals"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Planet's specific satellite constellations (Dove, SkySat) and their technical specifications to understand the electrical systems you'd be working on
- → Planet's recent missions and applications of their data (agriculture, deforestation monitoring, disaster response) to speak knowledgeably about impact
- → The company's manufacturing and launch partners to understand the ecosystem your designs would operate within
- → Technical publications or presentations by Planet engineers to understand their current challenges and approaches in satellite electrical design
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting generic electrical engineering experience without highlighting specific aerospace, satellite, or high-reliability system design
- Failing to demonstrate hands-on experience with Altium tools or lab equipment mentioned in the requirements
- Not showing understanding of the full design-to-manufacturing cycle, particularly for space-qualified hardware with rigorous validation requirements
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!