2 Dataviz position at Planet Labs, SF: Visual Storyteller & Geospatial Engineer
Robert Simmon
Welcome to Planet Labs. We believe in using space to help life on Earth.
We have a big vision at Planet Labs; we are focused on Mission 1: Image the entire Earth, every day, and democratize access to these data and tools. With our humble beginnings in a Cupertino garage, to a scrappy team of engineers hacking our initial satellite builds, we now find ourselves with brand new technology, market traction and an expanding team.
We have a people-centric approach toward culture and community and we are iterating in a way that puts our team members first and prepares our company for growth. Be a part of our mission and help build a company that is changing the world.
Wanted: Geospatial Engineer
Help Planet Labs build beautiful, up-to-date mosaics from multiple sources of satellite data, including our own Dove and RapidEye satellites. You will help us build global mosaics from the ground up, and process individual images to demonstrate the capabilities of our satellites. This requires strong skills in manipulating geospatial raster data, and a desire to turn messy reality into beautiful cartography.
At Planet you’ll get your hands dirty digging into stacks of data. Deconstruct tiles made from dozens of individual scenes, track down problems, and find ways to make them better. Develop techniques to pick the best pixel from a year’s worth of data, and merge several datasets into one.
You should be passionate about geography and geospatial data, and have an exquisite attention to detail.
The Must-Haves
- Intimate knowledge of methods to read and write geospatial data.
- Knowledge of GDAL and other open-source GIS tools.
- Programming skills, especially Python.
The Nice-to-Haves
- Experience developing interactive data visualizations, preferably with D3 and JavaScript.
- Understanding of mapping on the Web.
- Ability to interpret scientific data formats like HDF and NetCDF.
- Knowledge of the principles of data visualization.
- Familiarity with remote sensing data and true-color imagery.
Wanted: Visual Storyteller (Data Visualization Engineer)
Planet Labs is in search of someone who’s able to tell stories with data. We’re collecting imagery of the entire surface of the Earth, and we need a visualizer to help make it relevant: not only to our customers and traditional remote-sensing users, but to anyone interested in understanding their planet. We also want to combine true-color and near-infrared imagery with other types of raster and vector data–from vegetation to city streets to geologic maps.
As a data visualization engineer, you’ll help fulfill Planet Labs Planet Labs’ mission: image the whole Earth, every day, and make it relevant to everyday people. This involves helping develop processes to transform raw data into engaging imagery. This requires strong design skills, knowledge of visual communication, and an understanding of human perception.
You will also help tell Planet’s story. What does Earth look like from space? How do our satellites collect data? What are the applications of Planet Labs’ data? How does our imagery fit in with other types of data, from drones to NASA’s global datasets?
All of these tasks are linked through the disciplines of data visualization, design, and cartography, which you should be intimate with and passionate about.
The Must-Haves
- Knowledge of the principles of data visualization.
- Experience developing interactive data visualizations, preferably with D3 and JavaScript.
- Familiarity with reading and manipulating geospatial data.
The Nice-to-Haves
- Experience with true-color remote sensing imagery.
- Knowledge of GDAL and other open-source GIS tools.
- A passion for color, especially its use in cartography.
- Experience with Web mapping.
- Animation and motion graphics.
- 3D modeling and rendering.
- Experience with scientific data formats, like HDF.