Staff Software Engineer

Summary

Join Planet as a Staff Software Engineer and lead the development of transformative solutions for our most strategic Global Defense and Security customers. Embedded with key partners, you will act as a technical leader and hands-on builder, collaborating closely with a team of engineers to tackle complex customer challenges. Translate ambiguity into high-impact software solutions, defining, designing, and building what's needed, often inventing new capabilities. Your contributions will directly enable us to deliver on critical customer commitments and secure larger contracts. This full-time, remote position (with potential in-office work) is ideal for an individual contributor who enjoys dynamic environments and taking ownership. You will own end-to-end problem-solving, architect and develop software, engage directly with customers, embrace rapid iteration, provide technical leadership, and identify reusable patterns. Support pre-sales efforts and deliver critical commitments on time.

Requirements

• 12+ years of relevant work experience in software engineering or in an equivalent technical role
• Expert with geospatial software development and concepts (e.g. Rasterio, Fiona, Shapely, OpenLayers, GDAL)
• Expert-level full-stack development skills with hands-on experience across languages (e.g., Java, Python, React) and modern cloud environments
• Excellent customer engagement skills, capable of communicating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, including senior executives
• Self-motivated with an ability to operate autonomously in high-pressure, ambiguous environments
• Experience with fast, iterative, and at times ambiguous development cycles and ability to adapt to shifting requirements
• Ability to dedicate full-time focus to this critical project, with occasional early morning or evening engagements to align with US/EU teams and customers

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end problem-solving with your engineering team: from discovery and decomposition to designing, building, and deploying bespoke solutions for customer challenges
• Architect, design, and develop robust, full-stack software, including front-end, back-end, data integration, cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS), and CI/CD pipelines
• Engage directly with customers, conducting technical discovery and translating operational challenges into clear technical requirements and compelling solutions
• Embrace rapid iteration to deliver value quickly, adapting to evolving requirements with a bias for action
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship within your team, fostering a collaborative, “player/coach” environment
• Identify reusable patterns in customer solutions to inform broader platform development
• Ensure measurable, real-world outcomes that build trust and secure long-term partnerships
• Support pre-sales efforts by engaging in technical discovery and contributing to solution proposals
• Deliver critical commitments on time, understanding their direct impact on customer relationships and business objectives

Preferred Qualifications

Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

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
• Equity
• Commuter Benefits (if local to an office)
• Volunteering Paid Time Off