Planet is hiring: Senior Hardware Test Engineer, PCBA in San Francisco

Overview Join to apply for the Senior Hardware Test Engineer, PCBA role at Planet 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, delivering a dataset via a cloud-based platform to commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We are both a space company and a data company, and our culture focuses on people and growth. Planet is a global company with employees working remotely worldwide and offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands. About The Role The Manufacturing Test Engineering Team is responsible for creating and maintaining tests and infrastructure for satellite manufacturing operations. Hardware test engineers design and build software and hardware to automate functional & integration testing, instrument calibration, and qualification testing for production and design validation. You will collaborate with design engineers to develop board-level tests and be responsible for designing and developing test fixtures, test hardware, and test software, working with design, qualification, and manufacturing teams. This is a full-time, in-office position based in our San Francisco HQ 5 days a week. Responsibilities Develop test plans in collaboration with design engineers Drive the strategy and approach to PCBA testing for manufacturing Design, validate, and deploy bed-of-nails and boundary-scan test fixtures both in-house and at supplier facilities Design PCBA connectors, adapters, interfaces, and breakout boards for testing Develop automation and test scripts to functionally test hardware through manufacturing stages Continuously improve test software and hardware for high reliability and scalability Troubleshoot failures and non-conformances, perform root cause analysis, and recommend corrective actions What You Bring Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or similar 6+ years of experience in PCBA testing or manufacturing electrical test development Experience with JTAG/boundary scan and bed-of-nail testers Experience in design and layout of PCBA’s for adapting or interfacing with test hardware Ability to read and interpret PCBA schematics and design tests accordingly Experience creating system diagrams and detailed wiring diagrams Experience troubleshooting hardware/software issues and identifying root causes Familiarity with measurement hardware and test equipment (DMMs, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, signal conditioning, etc.) Experience programming in Python, especially for hardware functional tests Comfortable using Linux Experience with DVCS such as Git or Mercurial What Makes You Stand Out Advanced Python programming with contribution to large code bases Experience using Altium Experience in satellite or aerospace hardware design, manufacturing, or test Experience developing functional tests from requirements to pass/fail criteria and test station hardware Experience designing, building, validating, troubleshooting, and deploying boundary scan and bed-of-nails testers Application Deadline October 24, 2025 by 11:59 PM PDT EAR/ITAR Requirements This position requires access to export-controlled information, and employment is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional licensing. Benefits While Working At Planet Benefits depend on employment type and location. Plans may include medical, dental, vision, HSA with company contributions, paid time off, parental leave, wellness programs, home office reimbursement, device reimbursements, tuition reimbursement, and equity. Compensation The US base salary range for this full-time position at the start of employment is listed below, with potential for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives. Salary range varies by location and experience. For San Francisco: $128,400—$160,500 USD. Note: Recruiter can share specifics for your location during the hiring process. Belonging and EEO Planet is committed to belonging and equal opportunity for all. We invite candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Know Your Rights. Accommodations If you have a disability or need accommodations during the hiring process, please contact accommodations@planet.com or your recruiter. #J-18808-Ljbffr