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 Pre-Sales, Global Defence & Intelligence (D&I) will be responsible for leading Pre-Sales Solution Architects worldwide. This leader will deliver excellence in technical sales, account strategy, relationship building, and solution architecting tailored specifically to national security, Defence & Intelligence institutions.
The mission of Pre-Sales is to provide trusted technical advice, enabling global defence customers to leverage Earth Observation data and geospatial intelligence to support critical military operations, decision-making, and strategic outcomes.
The ideal candidate is an accomplished people manager, a geospatial expert with strong commercial acumen, and possesses over 10 years of experience in Defence & Intelligence. You possess a deep understanding of government defense customers, complex procurement frameworks, and military command structures.
This is a visible, strategic, and highly influential global role, partnering closely with internal D&I Sales teams, Space Systems, Product Engineering, and trusted defense partner ecosystems to secure complex, large-scale government contracts.
This is a full-time, remote position based in the UK or Germany. If located near an office, you are expected to work from that office 3 days per week.
Impact You’ll Own
- Create the conditions for high performance; recruit, coach, and develop a global team of specialized D&I Pre-Sales Solution Architects.
- Support global D&I sales teams and partner ecosystems by providing world-class technical sales capability to win new defense programs and expand existing accounts.
- Apply deep expertise in remote sensing, imagery analytics, and complex data architecture to design solutions supporting Military Operations, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) workflows.
- Lead high-impact customer engagements, workshops, pilots, and technical demonstrations tailored to defense commanders, intelligence analysts, and procurement officers.
- Collaborate closely with Global Professional Services, Program Management and Customer Success to conduct rigorous technical assessments, ensuring flawless execution from validation to operational delivery.
- Feed insights, security requirements, and intelligence use cases directly back to Product and Marketing to shape the product roadmap.
- Serve as a core member of the Global Pre-Sales & Services leadership team, shaping overarching department strategy and driving execution.
What You Bring
- 8+ years of relevant work experience and 6+ years of supervisory or leadership experience managing and scaling technical sales (Pre-Sales / Solution Architecture) teams.
- 8+ years of professional experience in a Defence & Intelligence environment.
- Active Security Clearance (or eligibility to hold suitable clearance for engaging all levels of Military Command).
- Solid grasp of military planning, intelligence workflows, and how commercial Earth Observation (EO) data integrates into defense decision-making.
- Experience navigating complex government sales cycles, RFP/RFI processes, and defense contracting frameworks.
- Fluency in geospatial system architectures, cloud environments/secure deployments, API integrations, and complex data pipelines.
- Ability to engage senior defense executives, military leaders, and procurement authorities, translating technical complexity into strategic value.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills with a track record of building resilient, high-trust teams.
What Makes You Stand Out
- Military / Veteran Experience: Former active Armed Forces Reserve or veteran intelligence professional.
- Experience working with Sales Qualification frameworks and methodologies e.g., Challenger Sales, MEDDPICC.
- Understanding of AI-Driven Geospatial Innovation: Conversant in modern AI/ML capabilities (e.g., automated feature extraction, change detection, foundation models) and skilled at leveraging AI to demonstrate high-value intelligence outcomes to defense customers—moving beyond raw imagery to automated, actionable insights.
- Experience co-selling and architecting solutions alongside major defense prime contractors, system integrators, and international allies.
Application Deadline
November 30, 2026 at 11:59p PT
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
Compensation
The expected starting gross salary range for this role is listed below. Individual placement within this range is determined objectively based on gender-neutral criteria such as your skills, qualifications, and professional experience. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, commission, and/or equity.
In addition to the salary range listed below, this role is also eligible to receive commission.
#LI-REMOTE
Germany Salary Range
€91.070 — €113.820 EUR
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
