Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Site Reliability Engineer

at Planet

🏢 About Planet

Planet is unique as it operates the world's largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites, providing daily global data that powers environmental monitoring, agriculture, and disaster response. Working here means contributing to technology that directly addresses climate change and sustainability challenges, with a mission-driven culture focused on 'impactful stewardship' of our planet.

About This Role

This Senior Site Reliability Engineer role involves building and maintaining the internal IT infrastructure for Planet's new German location, with a focus on automating network operations using Python/Go and Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform and SaltStack. You'll directly impact the reliability of systems that process global satellite imagery data, ensuring continuous operation for critical applications.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve writing Python scripts to automate network configuration changes across Juniper devices, collaborating with Security teams to implement new infrastructure security controls, and participating in incident response for internal IT systems. You could spend the afternoon refining Terraform modules for the new German location's infrastructure while preparing documentation for the on-call rotation.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Planet Is Looking For

  • Has 6+ years specifically with Linux infrastructure in production environments, not just general IT experience
  • Demonstrates deep automation expertise with Python or Go, particularly for network task automation and configuration management
  • Has hands-on experience with Juniper Junos, Arista EOS, or HP Aruba platforms in high-availability environments
  • Shows a track record of reducing operational toil through Infrastructure as Code practices using Terraform, Ansible, or SaltStack

📝 Tips for Applying to Planet

1

Quantify your experience with specific network platforms mentioned (Juniper, Arista, HP Aruba) - don't just list 'network experience'

2

Include concrete examples of how you've used Python or Go to automate network tasks or create self-healing systems

3

Highlight any experience with satellite data systems, geospatial technology, or mission-critical infrastructure

4

Demonstrate your understanding of Planet's mission by connecting your SRE experience to environmental or Earth observation applications

5

Show specific examples of collaborating with Security teams to embed security practices in infrastructure from the ground up

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience with Infrastructure as Code tools (Terraform/Ansible/SaltStack) in production environments', 'Specific examples of automating network operations and reducing operational toil', "How your background aligns with Planet's mission of Earth observation and environmental stewardship", 'Experience with high-availability environments and on-call incident response processes']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Planet's satellite constellations and data products (like PlanetScope, SkySat)
  • → How Planet's data is used in environmental monitoring, agriculture, or disaster response
  • → Planet's technical blog and engineering culture posts
  • → The company's recent expansion in Germany and European market strategy

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk through a specific example of how you automated a network task using Python or Go
2 How would you approach setting up infrastructure for a new location from scratch using IaC principles?
3 Describe your experience with Juniper Junos or Arista EOS configuration and troubleshooting
4 How do you balance reliability requirements with the need for rapid iteration in a satellite data environment?
5 Discuss a time you collaborated with Security teams to implement security best practices in infrastructure
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on generic SRE principles without addressing the specific network platform requirements (Juniper/Arista/Aruba)
  • Not demonstrating hands-on Infrastructure as Code experience with the mentioned tools (Terraform/Ansible/SaltStack)
  • Presenting yourself as purely operational without showing development/automation capabilities in Python or Go

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Planet!

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