Supply Chain Manager, Procurement & Logistics Operations
Planet
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Job summary
Planet in Berlin is seeking a Supply Chain Manager, Procurement & Logistics Operations to build and run the procurement and logistics engine for our first European satellite manufacturing site. You will own the PO lifecycle, coordinate with our SF Bay Area team, and ensure on-time delivery from purchase order to receipt, including customs and international leads.
The role is full-time and in-office at the Berlin site, requiring hands-on experience with EU customs, ERP systems, and a strong,
Qualifications
- 2+ years of procurement or logistics ops in hardware manufacturing.
- 2+ years of supervisory/leadership experience.
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Logistics or related field.
- Hands-on with German/EU customs and import/export processes.
Responsibilities
- Own Berlin PO lifecycle from requisition to close-out to ensure builds meet timelines.
- Translate build plans into purchasing actions with planning to balance supply and inventory.
- Manage supplier performance across Europe and US, ensuring on-time delivery and quality.
- Onboard European suppliers with localizations and long-term agreements.
- Oversee inbound/outbound and intercompany logistics across Europe and US; manage Incoterms and routing.
- Handle import/export execution including customs declarations and duty optimization.
- Ensure shipments comply with export controls and dangerous goods rules.
- Run Berlin procurement in NetSuite, Coupa, and PLM; maintain master data.
- Define and report KPIs like on-time delivery, PO aging, inventory accuracy and logistics cost.
- Write SOPs and harmonize processes with US team across sites.
- Assist in hiring and developing Berlin supply chain team.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Berlin, Germany
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.
Planet is currently seeking a Supply Chain Manager, Procurement & Logistics Operations to join our team in Berlin, Germany. Planet is opening its first European satellite manufacturing site in Berlin, where we will build Pelican, our very high-resolution satellite. As the first dedicated supply chain leader on the ground, you will build and run the procurement and logistics engine that keeps the Berlin production line supplied: from purchase order to receipt, from customs clearance to the kit on the build floor. You will work closely with our San Francisco Supply Chain team and with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality and Finance, and you will help shape how a growing European operation sources, moves and stores flight hardware. If you enjoy building processes from the ground up, thrive in a fast-paced hardware environment and want your work to help put satellites into orbit, this is the role for you.
This is a full-time, in-office position based in our Berlin office 5 days per week.
- Own the purchase-order lifecycle for Berlin production, from requisition and PO placement through order acknowledgement, expediting and close-out, so material arrives on time for every build.
- Translate the Pelican build plan and BOM demand into purchasing actions, working with Material Planning to balance on-time supply against inventory investment as plans change.
- Manage day-to-day supplier performance across Europe and the US: on-time delivery, quality escapes, corrective actions and lead-time risk, escalating early with clear recovery plans.
- Partner with Strategic Sourcing to qualify and onboard European suppliers, localize supply where it makes sense, and execute long-term agreements.
- Build and run inbound, outbound and intercompany logistics between the US and Germany and across Europe, including freight-forwarder management, Incoterms and cost-effective routing of high-value, sensitive flight hardware.
- Own import and export execution for Germany: customs declarations, tariff (HS/CN) classification, duty optimization, and coordination with customs brokers and our US trade-compliance team.
- Ensure shipments comply with export-control requirements (EU Dual-Use Regulation, German export controls/BAFA, and US EAR/ITAR flow-down where applicable) and with dangerous-goods rules such as those for lithium batteries.
- Run Berlin procurement transactions in our business systems (NetSuite, Coupa, PLM) and keep master data clean and accurate.
- Define and report key metrics, including supplier on-time delivery, past-due and PO aging, inventory accuracy and logistics cost.
- Write SOPs and harmonize processes with the US team so both sites operate as one supply chain.
- Help hire and develop the Berlin supply chain team as we scale.
- 2+ years of experience in procurement, purchasing or logistics operations in a hardware manufacturing environment.
- 2+ years of supervisory/leadership experience.
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Logistics or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Hands-on experience with German/EU customs and import/export processes, Incoterms and freight forwarders.
- Working knowledge of export-control and dangerous-goods regulations as they apply to shipping hardware.
- Proficiency with ERP/MRP or purchasing systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Coupa) and strong spreadsheet skills (Excel or Google Sheets).
- Professional working proficiency in written and spoken English, the language of the company.
- Business-fluent German.
- Experience standing up a new site, warehouse or supply chain function from scratch.
- Experience procuring PCBAs, fabricated metal parts or electro-mechanical assemblies.
- Familiarity with the EU Dual-Use Regulation, BAFA licensing, or US ITAR/EAR.
- A professional certification such as APICS CSCP/CPIM, CIPS, or an IHK qualification in purchasing and logistics.
- Ability to work across time zones with a US-based team and to manage conflicting priorities with frequent context switching.
11:45p / 23:45 CET on the date stated below. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting may be removed earlier than projected if a suitable pool of applications has been received. For this reason, we recommend applying as soon as you are able to.
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.
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
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 and/or equity.
Germany Salary Range
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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.
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.
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 accommodations@planet.com or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.
Planet is committed to providing an exceptional interview experience for all candidates. We currently use Metaview 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.
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 accommodations@planet.com 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.
We invite you to complete this survey to help us evaluate our diversity and inclusion efforts. This information will be handled anonymously, will be aggregated, and will not be linked to you or your application. You can choose to not disclose your details in any and all questions. Refusal to disclose will not
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