How to apply for Senior Software Engineer, GMS App Team

About Planet

Planet operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history and delivers a cloud-based platform for Earth data. The company controls hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering, so engineers work across the full stack of a space and data business. Employees join from remote locations worldwide and from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.

About the role

This is a full-stack software engineer role on the GMS App Team inside the defense and intelligence pillar. You will build robust systems and integrate with key federal partners, working with cross-functional internal teams on next-generation global monitoring. The work supports customers in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors who use Planet's data for research and operations.

A typical day

A typical day likely involves writing and reviewing code across frontend and backend systems, meeting with internal teams and federal partner stakeholders, and working on integrations for global monitoring. Because the role is remote and cross-functional, much of the coordination happens through written communication and scheduled calls. Exact routines depend on team practices, so ask about sprint cadence, meeting load, and how the GMS App Team coordinates with the defense and intelligence pillar.

Who Planet is looking for

• Has full-stack experience building and maintaining production systems, with comfort moving between frontend and backend work.
• Has worked on integrations with external partners, especially government or federal systems, and understands the constraints that come with those partnerships.
• Can collaborate with cross-functional teams including product, engineering, and mission stakeholders to turn requirements into working software.
• Is interested in Earth-imaging data and cloud platforms, and can handle the scale and reliability needs of a global monitoring product.

Tips for this application

• Read Planet's public materials on the defense and intelligence pillar and GMS before writing your application, then connect your experience to federal partner integrations.
• Highlight any past work with government, defense, or intelligence customers, including the compliance, security, or reliability constraints you handled.
• Show full-stack range in your resume by naming specific frontend and backend technologies and the systems you built with them.
• Mention remote work experience if you have it, since Planet hires remotely worldwide and this role is remote in the US.
• Use the cover letter to explain why satellite data and global monitoring interest you, not just software engineering in general.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain your experience integrating with federal or government partners and what you learned about their requirements. Describe a full-stack system you built end to end and the impact it had. Connect your interest to Planet's Earth-imaging data and the defense and intelligence pillar. Note your ability to work remotely with cross-functional teams across time zones.

Research before applying

• Planet's satellite constellation and the types of data it produces, including resolution, coverage, and update frequency.
• The defense and intelligence pillar and any public information about GMS or federal partnerships.
• Planet's cloud-based platform and how customers access and use the data.
• Planet's remote work setup and office locations to understand how teams are distributed.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would design and build an integration with a federal partner system, including security and reliability concerns.
• A walkthrough of a full-stack feature you built, covering both frontend and backend decisions.
• How you handle cross-functional collaboration when requirements come from multiple internal teams and an external partner.
• Your approach to working with large-scale geospatial or imaging data in a cloud platform.
• How you prioritize and communicate when building next-generation global monitoring systems with unclear or changing requirements.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without any reference to federal or government partner work, since this role is explicitly in the defense and intelligence pillar.
• Presenting yourself as only frontend or only backend when the role is full-stack.
• Ignoring Planet's data and space context and writing a generic software engineering application that could fit any company.