Manufacturing Engineer

Welcome to Planet. We believe in using space to help life on Earth. Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. This constellation delivers an unprecedented dataset of empirical information via a revolutionary cloud-based platform to authoritative figures in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We are both a space company and data company all rolled into one. Customers and users across the globe use Planet's data to develop new technologies, drive revenue, power research, and solve our world's toughest obstacles. As we control every component of hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering, our office is a truly inspiring mix of experts from a variety of domains. We have a people-centric approach toward culture and community and we strive to iterate in a way that puts our team members first and prepares our company for growth. Join Planet and be a part of our mission to change the way people see the world. Planet is a global company with employees working remotely world wide and joining us from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands. About the Role: The New Product Introduction (NPI) Team is responsible for developing and scaling the assembly, integration, and test operations for our next generation of satellites. The manufacturing technicians and engineers on the team work together to establish the overall processes and work instructions for assembling and testing satellites from the component level through final spacecraft integration. As a member of the NPI team, you will collaborate closely with design engineers, test engineers, and other cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution and delivery of spacecraft. This role is ideal for individuals who enjoy hands-on work in building and testing complex products and take a methodical approach to manufacturing operations. This is a full-time, in-office position based in our Berlin office 5 days per week. Impact You'll Own: • Support the Assembly, Integration and Test of Satellites and subsystems • Develop/document assembly procedures and work instructions • Design mechanical and electrical equipment and fixtures to aid with assembly, integration, and testing • Drive non-conformances to resolution and establish actionable process improvements • Recommend facilities and capital equipment improvements for scaling our manufacturing processes to meet our production demand • Participate in training of production technicians to transition the manufacturing line from R&D to production • Provide DFM/DFA recommendations to design teams • Monitor production metrics, identify areas for improvement, and implement corrective actions What You Bring: • 4+ years of manufacturing development experience • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field • Experience building satellites or similarly complex optical and electromechanical assemblies in a cleanroom environment • Experience reading technical drawings • Excellent SolidWorks skills to develop tooling & fixturing to interface with spacecraft and to extract useful views for use in work instructions • Hands-on experience with hardware assembly, integration, and test • Excellent attention to detail and technical writing skills for documenting assembly and test processes What Makes You Stand Out: • Experience implementing successful continuous improvement processes • Experience with Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software Application Deadline: June 2, 2026 by 11:59p / 23:59 CET (Central European Time) Export Control Requirements: Planet Labs Germany GmbH is authorized to receive U.S. export-controlled information at Planet under an export license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security. This position requires access to U.S. and German/EU export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate's ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by German, EU, or U.S. authorities. Benefits While Working at Planet: These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy. • Paid time off including vacation, holidays and company-wide days off  • Employee Wellness Program  • Home Office Reimbursement • Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement • Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning • Equity  • Volunteering Paid Time Off Why we care so much about Belonging.  We're dedicated to helping the whole Planet, and to do that we must strive to represent all of it within each of our offices and on all of our teams. That's why Planet is guided by an ultimate north star of Belonging—dreaming big as we approach our ongoing work. If this job intrigues you, but you're thinking you might not have all the qualif