Senior Spacecraft Qualification Engineer

About the Role

Senior Spacecraft Qualification Engineer – Berlin office.

The position is a full‑time, in‑office role based in Berlin, with occasional travel for testing and integration operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Own environmental test execution and respond to off‑nominal events: review test requirements, procedures and readiness packages for spacecraft acceptance and protoflight campaigns.
• Serve as the primary technical authority during test operations including vibration, shock, thermal cycling and thermal vacuum test operations.
• Perform hands‑on operations such as instrumentation setup, inspections, test monitoring and hardware troubleshooting, and assess test data in real time to identify failures, anomalies or unexpected hardware responses.
• Develop and implement recovery plans while ensuring personnel, facility and hardware safety.
• Validate test configurations, instrumentation plans, facility readiness and hardware constraints before test execution; coordinate with technicians and cross‑functional teams.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Supervise and assist with procurement, machining, assembly and proof‑loading operations of test fixtures and ground support equipment (GSE).
• Configure and validate data acquisition systems and analyze environmental test data to evaluate hardware performance, determine compliance and recommend next steps.
• Improve environmental test processes, procedures, facility capabilities, and operational efficiency and reliability.
• Generate clear test reports, anomaly investigations, and engineering recommendations; provide technical guidance and advise spacecraft, systems, manufacturing and quality teams.
• Participate in technical reviews, program status meetings and develop close working relationships with engineering and manufacturing teams.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Thermal Engineering or Electro‑Mechanics/Robotics Engineering.
• Experience owning vibration, shock, thermal cycling and thermal vacuum test campaigns for flight or flight‑like hardware.
• Understanding of environmental verification methodologies, acceptance and protoflight testing industry standards, and flight hardware handling.
• Knowledge of spacecraft systems and interactions between structures, mechanisms, avionics, payloads and thermal systems.
• Knowledge of structural dynamics and vibration theory (resonance, modal behavior, wave propagation, random vibration, boundary control).
• Knowledge of heat transfer principles and thermal management technology.
• Ability to evaluate test data, identify anomalies, assess risk, make engineering decisions during off‑nominal situations and develop recovery plans.
• Proficiency in Solid Works CAD, FEA or equivalent software.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while managing competing priorities and tight schedules.
• Ability to lead a team of technicians and collaborate closely with international engineers.
• What Makes You Stand Out
• Hands‑on experience with vibration shakers, thermal chambers, TVAC chambers and shock machines.
• Experience building and using DAQs for test article command/control and data gathering (accelerometers, load cells, etc.).
• Experience working in a machine shop and knowledge of automation.
• Familiarity with Raspberry Pi, Node‑RED or Python.
• Interest in prototyping, rapid iteration and agile processes.

Benefits

• 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 Linked In Learning access.
• Equity.
• Volunteering opportunities.

EEO Statement

Planet is an equal‑opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

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