The posting
The world needs 3 TW of new solar capacity every year. The legacy approach of developing and building infrastructure is mathematically incapable of catching up.
Planted is the autonomous power deployment company. We transform power plants from bespoke construction projects into manufactured products. By integrating planning software, high-density arrays, energy storage, and field robots, we deliver more power where it's needed most.
The physics are solved; what remains is relentless execution. Led by repeat founders and an engineering core from SpaceX and Tesla, we are backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Piva Capital, Google, Gigascale Capital, Khosla Ventures, and RA Capital Management.
We’re scaling fast and looking for operators and engineers who want to own real pieces of the system. You don't need a traditional energy background; we care whether you can finish hard things. Come build with us.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Software is both the brains of our machines and the connective tissue of Planted operations. You will lead and grow a software organization spanning three domains: autonomous robotic vehicle software, our suite of web-based power plant design, build, and operate tools, and an emerging portfolio of AI agents that automate engineering, estimation, and operations workflows.
We are looking for a pragmatic technical leader with a track record of building high-performing, multi-disciplinary software teams. You must be deep enough technically to drive key architectural decisions across the vertically integrated platform, and strategic enough to drive and execute on the product roadmap. You have systems literacy (e.g., how data moves from a robot's camera into an ML pipeline) and prioritize delivery mechanics over heavy-handed project management. Our robots are building projects in the field today and our design software is in front of customers. Your mandate is to scale the product and the team to support our current 10x year over year growth in megawatts deployed.
The Team: You will join a group at the intersection of deep tech and massive physical infrastructure. Our engineering core brings robotics and automation DNA from SpaceX and Tesla, working directly alongside veteran energy developers. We are led by repeat founders with a successful prior exit (Cogenra to SunPower). Planted is backed by leading investors in energy and Physical AI, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Piva Capital.
The annual salary range for this full-time position is $275,000-$325,000 plus a meaningful equity stake and benefits. Pay within the range is based on candidate experience, job-specific skills, and education. The target experience for the position is 10–15+ years. We work together in person 5 days/week at our HQ in Oakland, CA.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Organizational Leadership & Talent Development: Build, scale, and mentor a high-performing, multi-level software organization, including direct management of engineering managers, principal engineers, and system architects. Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous growth. Recruit and retain top-tier software talent across cloud, spatial/CAD, embedded, and robotics domains while allowing technical experts to own the architecture.
- Strategic Execution & Stakeholder Management: Own the software roadmap and drive the predictable, on-time delivery of complex, multi-system software projects across multiple products. Set clear expectations, communicate progress, and align software deliverables. Collaborate seamlessly with the Commercial team, Hardware Engineering, and Project Operations. Make the build-vs-buy, stack, and platform decisions that will hold up at 100x scale.
- Software Product Suite Ownership: Lead development across our core platforms: Power Planter (automated layout, engineering, and costing), Build View (autonomous fleet management, field deployment, and QA/QC), and Operate View (inspection, operations, and maintenance tools for large-scale solar plants).
- Autonomous Robotic Vehicle Platforms: Lead the engineering teams deploying the full software stack across our autonomous field machine fleet (fleet logic, behavior trees, and path planning, modern and classical controls, ROS2, etc.).
- Data Flywheel: We operate our field machines like modern manufacturing lines. You will own the telemetry and data infrastructure that monitors production with statistical process control and turns every installation into training data for better models and improved machine productivity.
- AI Systems: Build the team and roadmap for AI agents that automate design, estimation, project delivery, and operations workflows, grounded in the data our robots and projects generate.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 10 to 15+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years leading engineering teams (senior ICs and managers) shipping production systems.
- Deep expertise in full stack software development involving hardware and software integration like robotics, IoT, or industrial automation.
- Track record shipping robotics, autonomous vehicles, or hardtech software into the field at scale—with a strong focus on fleet reliability, continuous testing, and real-time observability.
- Broad leadership capability across platform/full-stack teams, cloud infrastructure, data systems, or applied AI/ML groups outside your core specialty.
- Systems architecture judgment with strong understanding of how technologies work together (e.g., middleware, pub/sub architectures, web services, and ML pipelines). You do not need to write the C++ on the robot, but you must understand edge compute, latency, and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Field robotics: Experience in construction, agriculture, mining, defense, logistics, or autonomous vehicles operating off-pavement (e.g., Waymo, Cruise, Bedrock Automation).
- DevOps & Delivery: Strong understanding of modern software deployment and containerization (Docker). Experience with CI/CD, release pipelines, and edge deployment strategies, focusing on how code reliably gets to the machine.
- Agentic and AI-Augmented Software Engineering: Experience building, rebuilding, and managing AI-integrated software development platforms and teams.
- Robotics & Controls: Familiarity with the complexities of deploying field-robotics software (e.g., ROS2, vehicle navigation, and autonomy stacks). You understand the unique delivery challenges of robotics compared to traditional software.
- Perception & Sensing: Experience with LiDAR, stereoscopic/IR cameras, object detection, spatial mapping, and SLAM in dynamic outdoor environments. Strong understanding of middleware, pub/sub architectures alongside web services, backend technologies, and ML pipelines.
- Spatial / CAD Expertise: Deep understanding of software platforms working with geospatial data (GIS, CAD engines, 3D modeling, or automated parametric design).
- Industrial Operations: Exposure to automated manufacturing execution systems (MES) managing statistical process control, telemetry monitoring, or fleet analytics in hardtech, renewable energy environments, or advanced manufacturing.
PHILOSOPHY ON QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPENSATION
Many people only apply for jobs if they believe they can perform every task in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and will consider equivalent combinations of knowledge, skills, education, and experience. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.
Additionally, we believe compensation should reflect the value people bring and give them a real stake in what we're building. Our total compensation package includes a base salary, meaningful equity through stock options, and benefits including company holidays, paid time off (PTO), and in-office lunches. Individual pay may vary within the posted range and is determined by a number of factors including relevant experience, skills, and location.
HOW WE WORK
We are using sunlight, software, and robots to power the world. It is historic work, and it is hard work. If you want a paved, predictable path, this isn't for you. If you'd rather invent the path, this is the best job you'll ever have.
- Call it out. We put big robots in the field alongside our crews and partners. Anyone can stop any operation at any time. The same trust runs everywhere: a bug in the code, a flaw in the plan, a risk in the dirt, a design that no longer makes sense. Say it while it's small and cheap to fix, directly to the person who can fix it. Sometimes that person is you.
- Commit and complete. We work problems, not tasks. A confident guess is not a commitment; “I'll find out by Thursday” is. If a date slips, say it early and bring the new plan. Every decision has one owner: bring data, argue hard, push back in the room, then the owner calls it and we lock arms. Execution compounds.
- Convention isn't evidence. “Industry standard” is a red flag. Most conventions were answers to constraints that no longer exist. We respect physics and obey the law. Everything else is a choice, and we get to make it.
- Let machines do the work. We are system builders: AI and robots do repetitive work in the field and in the office. Every task a machine takes over is a person out of harm's way or off the critical path. Solve a problem once, then build the tool, write the spec, and commit the doc so nobody has to solve it again. Doing it by hand once is fine. Twice means we need a tool.
Planted is an equal opportunity employer committed to growing inclusively, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, medical condition, age, or veteran status. However you identify, or whatever background you bring with you, please apply. We look forward to hearing from you.
