Planet
Senior Camera Systems Engineer
San Francisco, CA · Senior · Contract
Sponsorship not specified$206k-$257kDetected 21 hours ago
LLMsThermal AnalysisSystems EngineeringAerospace EngineeringElectrical EngineeringHardware DesignSignal ProcessingResearchLeadershipRemote Sensing
About the role
- In this role, you will bridge the gap between mission-level imaging goals and hardware implementation, orchestrating the end-to-end lifecycle of our camera systems.
- This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week.
Responsibilities
- You will drive requirements flowdown, lead cross-functional trade studies, and manage key technical relationships with external image sensor and camera component vendors.
- You will collaborate closely with Electrical, Mechanical, Thermal, Optical, and Flight Software teams to optimize the camera system to meet our tight SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, Cost, and Schedule) and electro-optical performance targets.
- Serve as the primary technical point of contact for external image sensor foundries and camera component vendors; drive statement of work (SOW) definitions, technical milestones, and critical design reviews (PDR/CDR).
- Define and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs) mapping the boundaries between the camera module, high-speed data serialization, the image signal processing (ISP) pipeline, and the host payload/spacecraft bus.
- Planet is committed to building a community where everyone belongs and we invite people from all backgrounds to apply.
- Planet is an inclusive community and we know that everyone has their own needs.
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.
- 10+ years of engineering experience, with at least 5+ years dedicated to systems engineering or technical leadership for complex digital cameras or electro-optical (EO) imaging systems.
- Track record of managing requirements traceability and flowdown across electrical, mechanical, and optical boundaries
- Experience managing external vendors, foundries, or contract manufacturers for high-performance camera components or custom sensors.
- Deep understanding of CMOS image sensor architecture, radiometry, and camera performance budgets (e.g., tracking noise, stray light, and MTF across the camera module).
- What Makes You Stand Out:
- Experience developing camera hardware or imaging instruments for the LEO environment, including knowledge of radiation mitigation, outgassing, and vacuum-compatible design.
- Experience applying aerospace standards (NASA, ESA, or high-reliability commercial equivalents) to camera qualification, environmental testing, and hardware acceptance.
- Familiarity with hardware-level image processing (e.g., dark current correction, defective pixel masking), high-speed serialization protocols, and ground-station image calibration.
- Application Deadline:
Skills
- Welcome to Planet.
- Violation of this policy may result in disqualification of your application.
Compensation
- The US base salary range for this full-time position at the commencement of employment is listed below.
- The final salary range is determined by job related experience, skills and location.
- Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
- San Francisco Salary Range
- $205,800 - $257,200 USD
Benefits
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
- Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution
- Generous Paid Time Off in addition to holidays and company-wide days off
- 16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
- Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Home Office Reimbursement
- Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
- Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
- Commuter Benefits (if local to an office)
- Volunteering Paid Time Off
- Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity).
Equal opportunity
- Planet is an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
- Know Your Rights.
- EEO statement:
Visa & Work Authorization
- Should an interview involve use of AI interview technologies, the candidate will receive notification and have the ability to opt out both in advance and/or real-time.
This listing is sourced directly from Planet's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.