Director of Manufacturing

Planet Labs•Berlin, BE 10115, DE• Contract

Posted 2 hours ago• Manufacturing• Manufacturing

Job Description

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 Director of Manufacturing is charged to lead the NPI build process, manufacturing engineering and all factory operations reporting directly to the VP of Spacecraft development and MFG. Planet is looking for a well-established process and manufacturing engineer, who’s capable of managing dynamic iterations to lead continuous improvement projects, support new product launches and provide sustaining support of the manufacturing process, advocating for the needs of DFx to the development team ensuring that the products that are designed can be assembled and produced to cost, quality, and schedule standards. This is a leadership position responsible for the ownership and growth of the function.

This is a full-time, in-office position based in our Berlin office 5 days per week.

Impact You’ll Own:

Build, mentor, manage a high performing team.
Design and implement an org structure to align with Planet’s growth trajectory.
Own global factory and R&D facility location strategy optimizing variables to meet long term business objectives.
Provide hands-on support to the manufacturing and test processes, resolving day to day production issues.
Manage the scope, schedule and budget for new continuous improvement projects. Drive projects through implementation in manufacturing.
Lead the Development and implementation of manufacturing processes by studying product requirements; researching, designing, modifying, and testing manufacturing methods and equipment.
Ensure product and process quality by designing test processes and methods; establishing standards for measuring finished product and process capabilities; drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes and procedures.
Design, build and manage the smooth operation of production lines capable of building Planet’s highly versatile line of technology. This includes everything from assembly and build process to factory layout, vendor qualification, and quality management.
Provide manufacturing decision-making information by calculating production, labor, and material costs; reviewing production schedules; estimating future requirements.
Prepare product and process reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends.
Maintain product and process tracking database across build cycles.
Complete design and development projects by training and guiding technicians and managing day to day operations (includes quality engineers, MFG engineers and technicians).
Design experiments to characterize hardware through testing - provide inputs and recommendations to greater team.
Enable change management to continuously improve efficiencies and performances via repeatable processes, people growth, and elimination of work duplication.
Supervision and responsibility over direct labor (Production staffing).

What You Bring:

8+ years technical hands-on work experience building and growing production teams for scale, quality management, insource/outsource strategy, manufacturing throughput and capacity analysis.
6+ years supervisory/leadership experience - Ability to multitask several projects and manage technicians and junior engineers.
Advanced degree in a relevant field.
Experience with manufacturing engineering, process engineering, product design, and extensive NPI .
Experience with complete end to end manufacturing documentation, process development and analysis with deep understanding.
Ability to provide DFM/DFX guidelines to the cross-functional teams and ensure manufacturability across the supply chain, partners and CMs.
Professional experiences in “owned” factory operations.
Experience in design and selection of production processes/equipment/consumables/etc.
Experience in predictive software design packages and 6-Sigma certifications.
Experience with Superior Project/Timeline (Consumer Electronics Integrated Project Management) adherence.
Knowledge of PPAP, Process Capability, GR&R, PMP, basic GD&T, basic cost estimation/management, and process control plans.
Ability to communicate clearly and advocate.
Compliance to Labor practices and understanding of CoGS.

Application Deadline:

June 1, 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 qualifications, please... do apply! At Planet, we are looking for well-rounded people from around the world who can contribute to more ways than just what is listed in this job description. We don’t just fill positions, we aspire to fulfill people’s careers, most excited about folks who are motivated by our underlying humanitarian efforts. We are a few orbits around the sun before we get to where we want to be, so we hope you’re excited to come along for the ride.

EEO statement:
Planet is committed to building a community where everyone belongs and we invite people from all backgrounds to apply. Planet is an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Know Your Rights.

Accommodations:
Planet is an inclusive community and we know that everyone has their own needs. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during the hiring process, please reach out to [email protected] or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.

Privacy Policy: By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Planet Data Privacy Notice for California Staff Members and Applicants, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.

Privacy Policy (European Applicants): By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Candidate Privacy Notice GDPR Planet Labs Europe, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.

AI in Our Interviewing Process: Planet is committed to providing an exceptional interview experience for all candidates. We are currently exploring AI interviewing technologies to better focus on candidates and less on trying to capture notes. As such, with the candidate's consent, select interviews may be recorded and include a Planet AI Notetaker for transcription and summarization purposes. Should an interview involve use of AI interview technologies, the candidate will receive notification and have the ability to opt out both in advance and/or real-time. Opting out will not affect one's candidacy.

Candidate AI Policy: Planet embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, and we encourage its responsible use. We understand that candidates may use various resources, including AI tools, to prepare for interviews and assessments. However, during any live interview stage or when actively completing assessments for this position, the use of AI tools—e.g. Large Language Models (LLMs), deep fake technology, etc.—is strictly prohibited unless explicitly prompted by an interviewer or assessment instructions. If you are unsure about acceptable use, please contact your recruiter for clarification. If an AI tool or similar technology is desired as an accommodation, please contact [email protected] with your request for assistance. Your message will be confidential, and we will be happy to assist you. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification of your application.