Senior Mechanical Engineer jobs in United States
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Planet · 2 days ago

Senior Mechanical Engineer

positionSan Francisco, CA
timeFull-time
remoteOnsite
senioritySenior Level
money$144K/yr - $181K/yr
date6+ years exp

Planet is a global company that designs and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. The Senior Mechanical Engineer will drive the design of key spacecraft subsystems across Planet's fleet of Earth-imaging satellites, collaborating with various teams to ensure successful spacecraft design and implementation.

AerospaceAnalyticsBig DataGeospatialRemote SensingSoftware
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H1B Sponsor Likelynote

Responsibilities

Own the mechanical design on key spacecraft subsystems across Planet’s satellite fleet
Drive documentation and presentation of new designs throughout design phases and reviews
Collaborate with structural analysis team to drive/perform analyses on key spacecraft subsystems to meet stiffness and strength requirements
Drive part/assembly tolerancing using geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and own release of drawing packages for part fabrication
Perform design and analysis responsibilities
Drive part/assembly design and fabrication at key subsystem vendors
Collaborate with manufacturing team to implement key spacecraft design for manufacturing (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) features
Support interface control document (ICD) development and size and develop interfaces for your subsystems
Support test planning and qualification campaigns
Support debugging and root-causing on-orbit anomalies and production
Be hands on with flight and test hardware

Qualification

Mechanical designComputer-aided design (CAD)Geometric dimensioningTolerancing (GD&T)Product Lifecycle Management softwareDesign for manufacturing (DFM)Design for assembly (DFA)Dynamic hardware buildsCompositesMetal componentsExperience in opticsMachine shop experiencePythonMatlabVisual Basic (VBA)Communication skillsSelf-motivatedTeam collaborationHands-on experienceProblem-solving

Required

6+ years experience owning products from requirements, through conceptual design, and into test and manufacturing
Advanced in computer-aided design (CAD) software and Product Lifecycle Management software
Solid experience using GD&T and ANSI Y14.5 to generate good quality, low cost parts
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or other related engineering or science degree
Experience with design and fabrication of composites and metal components
Hands-on experience with dynamic hardware builds, test plan creation, and hardware validation
Ability to be self-motivated and responsible while working in a dynamic environment
Excellent verbal and visual communication skills

Preferred

2+ years of experience designing mechanisms, electromechanical components, or solar arrays
Experience designing products for low or mid volume serial production and have a good understanding of the tradeoffs between manufacturing methods for these volumes
Ability to drive manufacturers and DFM/DFA
Experience in optics/opto-mechanical hardware, mechanisms, structures, and/or electronics/RF packaging
Machine shop experience fabricating or modifying parts (CNC Mill/Router, Mill, Lathe, Laser Cutter, 3D printer)
Proficiency in Python, Matlab, and/or Visual Basic (VBA)

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

Company

Planet

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Planet is an aerospace and data analytics company that builds small satellites and delivers information about the changing planet.
dateFounded in 2010
location
San Francisco, California, USA
people-size501-1000 employees
web-link
http://www.planet.com

H1B Sponsorship

Planet has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2022 (5)
2021 (12)

Funding

Current Stage
Public Company
Total Funding
$1.03B
Key Investors
BlackRockBloombergNEFPrelude Ventures
2025-09-09Post Ipo Debt· $460M
2021-12-08Post Ipo Equity· $200M
2021-12-08IPO

Leadership Team

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Will Marshall
Co-Founder & CEO
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Robbie Schingler
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer
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Recent News

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2026-01-16
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2026-01-13
Morningstar.com
Planet Signs 9-Figure Deal with Sweden
2026-01-12
Company data provided by crunchbase