Senior Product Manager, Mission Solutions

Planet; Virginia (MN); Hybrid; USD 143,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vis

Health Savings Account with company

Paid Time Off + holidays

Parental Leave 16 weeks

Equity

Tuition Reimbursement

Home Office Reimbursement

Commuter Benefits

Job summary

Planet seeks a Senior Product Manager for Defense & Intelligence to bridge Planet's shared platform with D&I solutions. You will translate defense workflows into platform specs, collaborate with Forward Deployed Engineering, and guide end-to-end vertical solutioning as the team grows.

You will own delivery across GMS and MDA, shape the product roadmap with input from engineering, sales, and customers, and drive packaging of capabilities for defense procurement and operational models.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of technical product management bridging platform teams and field teams (FDE, Solutions Engineering).
• Understanding of geospatial data platforms, cloud architectures, APIs, extension layers, and analytics/ML pipelines.
• Ability to separate generalizable platform capabilities from one-off customizations.
• Background in geospatial intelligence, satellite tasking/monitoring, remote sensing, and defense tech.
• Track record of prioritizing backlogs across competing technical and operational demands.
• Ability to articulate technical trade-offs and mission impact to engineers and executives.
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight while managing multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Forward Deployed Engineers on delivery and convert recurring customer build patterns into reusable platform capabilities.
• Prioritize mission requirements for the shared GMS/MDA platform vs. single-customer needs.
• Keep D&I mission requirements visible against company objectives and site onboarding speed.
• Consolidate inputs from field engineering, sales, and PM into a prioritized product roadmap.
• Evolve GMS/MDA capabilities into packaged D&I offerings aligned with defense procurement.

Skills

Product management

Geospatial data

Cloud architectures

APIs

Backlog prioritization

Stakeholder communication

Independent work

Tools

FDE collaboration

Solutions Engineering

Job description

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 Global Monitoring Service (GMS) and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) solutions drive actionable insights. As Senior Product Manager, Defense & Intelligence (D&I) Mission Solutions, you will own the connective tissue between Planet’s shared platform and our Defense & Intelligence solutions. You will translate defense workflows into platform specs, ensuring core architectures support high-consequence operational environments. You will focus on technical delivery—partnering with Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) to build robust extension points and APIs. As the team grows, your scope will evolve into end-to-end vertical solutioning, including market packaging and long-term product strategy.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco, CA or Arlington, VA office 3 days per week.

Impact You’ll Own:

• Partner with Forward Deployed Engineers on delivery: Help solve the right product challenges they hit in the field, and convert recurring customer-specific build patterns into durable, reusable GMS/MDA and core platform capability.
• Influence and help prioritize which mission requirements are worth building into the shared GMS/MDA platform versus solving for a single customer
• Keep D&I mission requirements visible against company-wide objectives, including how fast a tasked image becomes an insight and how fast a new site comes online.
• Scale Demand Intake: Consolidate inputs across field engineering, sales and PM counterparts into a prioritized D&I product roadmap.
• Drive Vertical Product Strategy: Evolve GMS and MDA capabilities into packaged D&I offerings aligned with defense procurement and operational models.

What You Bring:

• 6+ years of technical product management experience bridging core platform teams and technical field teams (FDE, Solutions Engineering).
• Understanding of geospatial data platforms, cloud architectures, APIs, extension layers, and analytics/ML pipelines.
• Ability to separate generalizable platform capabilities from one-off customizations.
• Background in geospatial intelligence, satellite tasking/monitoring, remote sensing, and defense technology.
• Track record of prioritizing backlogs across competing technical and operational demands.
• Ability to articulate technical trade-offs and mission impact to both engineers and executives.
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight while managing multiple concurrent priorities.

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Experience scaling vertical product layers on top of shared platform infrastructure.
• Active or prior U.S. Security Clearance (Secret or TS/SCI).
• Operational experience within or supporting the U.S. Defense & Intelligence Community

Application Deadline:

November 19, 2026 at 11:59p PT

EAR/ITAR Requirements:

This position requires access to 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 the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

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.

US National Salary Range

$142,800—$178,500 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 [e-mail] or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.

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 [e-mail] 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.