Talent Acquisition Partner, Space Systems (Contract)

Job Application for Talent Acquisition Partner, Space Systems (Contract) at Planet Back to jobs Talent Acquisition Partner, Space Systems (Contract) San Francisco, CA Apply 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: Planet's Space Systems organization designs, builds, and launches the largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites in history. This team spans satellite manufacturing and integration, RF and antenna engineering, thermal and power systems, deployable structures, and avionics — and it represents Planet's highest-volume and most technically specialized hiring demand. We are scaling production for next-generation constellations and expanding manufacturing operations, which means Space Systems hiring runs at peak intensity through the middle of our fiscal year. We are looking for an experienced contract Talent Acquisition Partner to provide coverage for a senior recruiter's planned leave of absence during this critical period. This is a full-time, approximately six-month engagement with an expected start in mid-June to allow onboarding overlap before the leave begins in July. You will step into an active portfolio of requisitions across hardware engineering and manufacturing, inherit existing candidate pipelines, and maintain delivery continuity for hiring managers who are accustomed to a high level of recruiting partnership. This is not a ramp-up role. You will be expected to operate independently within the first few weeks — running intake meetings, managing pipeline, negotiating offers, and partnering directly with Space Systems hiring managers. You will work alongside a Talent Acquisition Partner who is permanently aligned to the pod for the hardest-to-fill technical roles. You will report to the Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition for the duration of the contract. This role is based in San Francisco, where Planet's headquarters and primary satellite manufacturing facility are located. This role will require you to work from our SF HQ 3 days per week. Impact You’ll Own: Provide full-cycle recruiting coverage for the Space Systems pod during a senior team member's planned leave of absence, ensuring zero disruption to hiring delivery. Inherit and manage an active portfolio of requisitions spanning hardware engineering, manufacturing operations, satellite integration and test, and specialized technical disciplines — picking up existing pipelines and advancing candidates through the process without losing momentum. Partner directly with Space Systems hiring managers to maintain the caliber of recruiting partnership they expect — running intake meetings, providing market intelligence, managing expectations on timeline and candidate availability, and closing offers. Manage 10–15 concurrent requisitions across a range of engineering specialties including mechanical, electrical, RF, thermal, power, FPGA, and manufacturing operations roles. Collaborate with the Talent Acquisition Partner in the pod to balance workload, share pipeline intelligence, and ensure no requisitions fall through the cracks during the transition. Maintain accurate and up-to-date pipeline data in Greenhouse, ensuring a clean handback when the senior team member returns from leave. Deliver a thorough transition at the end of the engagement — documenting pipeline status, hiring manager context, and candidate relationships so that nothing is lost when the permanent recruiter resumes. What You Bring: 6+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, with substantial time spent hiring for hardware engineering, manufacturing, or technical disciplines in aerospace, defense, or adjacent industries. Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field. Ability to step into an active requisition portfolio and deliver results quickly — you have done contract or interim recruiting work before and know how to build hiring manager trust on an accelerated timeline. Deep familiarity with aerospace, satellite, or hardware engineering talent markets — you already know which companies, programs, and talent pools produce the candidates these hiring managers need. Experience managing a high-volume requisition load (10+ concurrent searches) with minimal supervision, maintaining quality pipeline activity and consistent stakeholder communication. Solid technical fluency across hardware engineering disciplines — you can credibly discuss RF design, power systems, thermal analysis, and mechanical engineering at a level that earns hiring manager confidence. Proficiency with Greenhouse or a comparable enterprise ATS, including pipeline management, reporting, and structured interview workflows. Excellent offer negotiation skills — you can manage competing offers, navigate compensation conversations, and close candidates in a competitive market without over-relying on escalation. Solid organizational discipline — you will be managing inherited pipelines with existing candidate relationships, and nothing can fall through the cracks during the transition. What Makes You Stand Out: Direct experience recruiting for satellite, spacecraft, or launch vehicle programs — you can walk onto a manufacturing floor, understand what you are looking at, and translate that context into a compelling candidate pitch. Previous contract or interim recruiting engagements where you successfully covered a leave of absence or backfilled a senior recruiter — you have a playbook for fast onboarding and clean handoffs. Familiarity with ITAR and export control compliance as it relates to recruiting, including how citizenship and clearance requirements constrain candidate pools for specific roles. An existing network in the San Francisco Bay Area aerospace and hardware engineering talent community that you can activate immediately. Experience recruiting for both salaried engineering roles and hourly manufacturing or technician positions — comfortable spanning the full spectrum of Space Systems hiring. Application Deadline: June 25, 2026 by 11:59p / 23:59 CET (Central European Time) Benefits While Working at Planet: These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy. 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 Compensation: The US base salary range for this full-time position at the commencement of employment is listed below. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity). The final salary range is determined by job related experience, skills and location. The range displays our typical hiring range for new hire salaries in US locations only. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. San Francisco Salary Range $128,400 - $160,500 USD San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. 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 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 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. Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Planet? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. 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