Technical Program Manager, Solutions

Planetlabs; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 127,000 - 159,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

HSA with company contribution

Paid Time Off

Parental leave 16 weeks

Wellness Program

Home Office Reimbursement

Phone & Internet Reimbursement

Tuition Reimbursement

Equity

Commuter Benefits

Volunteering PTO

Job summary

Planet is seeking a Technical Program Manager to drive its largest cross-team initiatives from concept through delivery. You will partner with Product, Engineering, and customers to translate roadmaps into structured execution plans and timelines, mitigating risks and dependencies along the way.

This full-time, hybrid role requires working from the Washington, DC or Denver offices part of each week and offers a comprehensive benefits package and potential equity.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in software development or program management.
• Experience with SaaS products or analytics platforms.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong communication of complex plans to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience across concept → development → launch lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Orchestrate end-to-end program execution across multiple teams.
• Translate complex requirements into actionable milestones.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and drive mitigation actions.
• Communicate progress and changes to stakeholders with clarity.
• Balance tactical work with scalable, future-oriented improvements.

Skills

PM experience

SaaS/analytics

Cross-functional work

Communication

Lifecycle management

Data-driven analysis

Technical trade-offs

Ambiguity handling

Education

Bachelor’s degree

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:

As a Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Planet, you will drive Planet’s largest, complex efforts that cross many teams and organizational boundaries. You will focus on execution of programs through the product life cycle. You will work closely with team leads to develop and manage end to end program plans. This includes establishing and managing internal processes, schedules, metrics, risks, and clearly communicating them to project stakeholders. You will work with both technical and non-technical teams.

We are looking for a Technical Program Manager to support solutions development for Defense and Intelligence. You will be the connective tissue between Product, Engineering, and our customers, turning big-picture roadmaps into structured execution plans and accountable timelines. From managing custom customer deployments to supporting the engineering release train, you’ll cut through ambiguity, manage cross-functional dependencies, and proactively mitigate risk to ensure seamless delivery.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our Washington, DC or Denver, CO office 3 days per week.

Impact You'll Own:

• Orchestrate end-to-end program execution across Engineering, Product, Design, Space Systems, Enablement, and Customer Support to ensure successful releases.
• Scope comprehensive program schedules and break down complex requirements into actionable, incremental milestones.
• Translate requirements across business and technical stakeholders with communication clarity.
• Identify dependencies and risks and proactively mitigate them.
• Facilitate decision making through data-driven analysis and healthy debate.
• Communicate vertically & horizontally across Planet to keep stakeholders informed of progress, priorities, risks, and changes to requirements or plans.
• Drive for results by continuously improving ways of working and processes, now and for the future.

What You Bring:

• 4+ years of software development or program management experience in the areas of SaaS, platform development, or analytics.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams across a broad organization.
• Thrives in ambiguous environments, with a track record of designing and implementing scalable processes and frameworks from scratch.
• Experience with the product life cycle: concept through development, launch preparation, go-to-market, deprecations, and end-of-life.
• Analytical, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills paired with the ability to communicate findings and recommendations.
• Equally comfortable explaining your analyses and recommendations to business leaders as you are discussing technical trade-offs with engineers.
• Ability to balance the tactical day-to-day with forward-looking improvements to scale operational efficiencies.

What Makes You Stand Out:

• A desire to improve processes, tools, and ways of working to scale operations cycles.
• Experience with remote sensing, earth observation data, or geospatial systems.
• Experience working with remote, worldwide teams.
• A growth mindset and a desire to learn quickly.
• Actively exploring AI technologies to automate workflows, improve data, or enhance team productivity.

Application Deadline:

11:45pm PT 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.

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:

• 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

$127,000—$158,700 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.

AI in Our Interviewing Process

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.

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.