Application Guide

How to Apply for Visiting Staff Scientist

at Planet

🏢 About Planet

Planet operates the largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites, capturing daily imagery of the entire planet. This unique data enables unprecedented monitoring of environmental changes, from deforestation to disaster response, making it a leader in geospatial intelligence. Working here means contributing to a mission of global stewardship with cutting-edge satellite technology.

About This Role

As a Visiting Staff Scientist, you will lead the development of Planet's proprietary geospatial foundation model (GFM) using PlanetScope imagery, focusing on time-series embeddings to detect dynamic events like floods and fires. This role bridges research and product, allowing you to publish in top journals while mentoring a postdoc and collaborating on operational prototypes.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start with reviewing model training runs on a cloud cluster, then meeting with a postdoc to discuss embedding experiments. Afternoon could involve collaborating with research scientists on prototype integration, followed by writing a paper on flood detection results. Evenings might include presenting findings at an internal tech talk or reviewing satellite data from a recent disaster.

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🎯 Who Planet Is Looking For

  • A tenured professor with 12+ years in remote sensing and satellite image analysis, specifically with PlanetScope or similar high-frequency imagery.
  • Deep expertise in AI foundation models and contrastive learning for environmental change detection, with a track record of publications on flood-extent or water dynamics.
  • Proficient in Python's scientific stack (xarray, Dask, Rasterio) and experienced with large-scale geospatial data processing in cloud environments.
  • A collaborative leader who can mentor a postdoc, work with research scientists, and translate research prototypes into operational products.

📝 Tips for Applying to Planet

1

Highlight specific experience with time-series embeddings and foundation models for geospatial data, not just generic AI/ML.

2

Showcase publications in top-tier journals (e.g., Remote Sensing of Environment, IEEE TGRS) that demonstrate your ability to publish and present.

3

Tailor your CV to emphasize 12+ years of experience and current faculty status; include a link to your Google Scholar or ORCID.

4

Mention any hands-on experience with PlanetScope imagery or similar high-cadence satellite data in your cover letter.

5

Provide examples of mentoring postdocs or leading research teams, as this role explicitly includes mentoring responsibilities.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Emphasize your passion for using satellite data for environmental stewardship and how your research aligns with Planet's mission.", 'Detail your experience with foundation models and contrastive learning applied to dynamic events like floods and fires.', 'Explain how you have successfully transitioned research prototypes into operational products or collaborated with industry partners.', 'Highlight your mentoring philosophy and experience guiding postdocs or junior researchers.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Study Planet's existing product lines (e.g., PlanetScope, SkySat) and their data specifications (resolution, bands, revisit time).
  • → Review Planet's published research or blog posts on foundation models and AI for Earth observation.
  • → Understand Planet's mission and recent initiatives in climate change monitoring and disaster response.
  • → Familiarize yourself with Planet's competitors (e.g., Maxar, ESA's Copernicus) and how their GFM efforts differ.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a time-series embedding to capture short-lived events like floods from PlanetScope imagery?
2 Describe your experience benchmarking geospatial foundation models; what metrics would you use for PlanetScope?
3 How do you balance publishing high-impact research with the need for operational productization?
4 Tell us about a time you mentored a postdoc or junior researcher; what was your approach?
5 How would you handle the challenges of processing daily global satellite data at scale (e.g., using Dask/Rasterio)?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't submit a generic application without mentioning PlanetScope or specific geospatial foundation models.
  • Avoid overemphasizing academic-only work without demonstrating an interest in productization or industry collaboration.
  • Don't ignore the mentoring requirement; failing to discuss your experience with postdocs or team leadership can hurt your candidacy.

📅 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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