Application Guide
How to Apply for Account Executive – Civil Government (EU Institutions & Northern Europe)
at Planet
🏢 About Planet
Planet is unique as the world's leading provider of daily, global Earth-imaging data, enabling governments to monitor environmental changes, enforce regulations, and respond to crises with unprecedented timeliness. Working here means contributing directly to impactful stewardship of our planet through cutting-edge satellite technology, with a mission-driven culture focused on making global change visible, accessible, and actionable.
About This Role
This Account Executive role involves owning the full sales cycle for civil government accounts across Northern Europe and EU institutions, from identifying opportunities to closing multi-year deals. You'll be instrumental in helping public bodies leverage Planet's satellite data for policy implementation, environmental monitoring, and regulatory compliance, making this role impactful by directly connecting space technology to tangible public sector outcomes.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve morning meetings with prospects like the Norwegian Coastal Administration to discuss maritime monitoring needs, followed by crafting a tailored proposal for a Dutch water authority RFP. Afternoons could include internal strategy sessions to align sales approaches with EU policy developments, and closing with relationship-building calls to key stakeholders at the European Environment Agency ahead of their budget planning cycle.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Planet Is Looking For
- Has 6+ years of documented success in B2G/public sector sales, specifically with ministries, national agencies, or EU institutions in Northern Europe
- Demonstrates expertise in navigating complex public procurement processes, including experience with EU tenders, framework agreements, and multi-stakeholder decision cycles
- Can articulate how Earth-observation data aligns with specific public policy objectives (e.g., climate monitoring, agricultural subsidies, border security) in the Nordics/Baltics
- Possesses strategic account planning skills tailored to public-sector budget cycles and regulatory constraints, not just commercial sales tactics
📝 Tips for Applying to Planet
Quantify your B2G sales experience with specific examples: mention deal values, contract durations, and the public entities you've worked with in Northern Europe or EU institutions
Tailor your resume to highlight experience with Earth-observation or geospatial data sales to government, or explicitly connect your public sector sales experience to environmental/regulatory use cases
Research and reference specific Planet datasets or monitoring programs (like Forest Carbon or Maritime Awareness) that could serve Northern European government needs
Demonstrate understanding of EU public procurement directives (like 2014/24/EU) and how they affect technology acquisition in civil government
If you have existing relationships with relevant agencies (e.g., Swedish Meteorological Institute, Finnish Border Guard, European Environment Agency), hint at these networks without breaching confidentiality
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Open with a specific example of how Planet's daily imaging could address a current Northern European government challenge (e.g., monitoring peatland emissions in Ireland or coastal erosion in the Baltics)", 'Detail your experience managing complex, multi-year public sector deals, emphasizing how you navigated stakeholder alignment and budget cycles', "Connect your background to Planet's mission by explaining how you've previously helped public bodies use data for environmental or regulatory outcomes", 'Mention any familiarity with EU space policy initiatives (like Copernicus) and how commercial data complements them']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Study Planet's specific government case studies, especially any involving European agencies (like the partnership with the UK Environment Agency)
- → Understand the competitive landscape: how Planet differs from other Earth-observation providers (e.g., Airbus, Maxar) in terms of revisit rate, resolution, and analytics
- → Research recent EU space policy and funding programs (e.g., CASSINI, Horizon Europe) that could influence government adoption of commercial satellite data
- → Explore Planet's sustainability reports and ESG commitments, as these align closely with public sector priorities in Northern Europe
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using generic commercial sales language without adapting it to public sector constraints (e.g., focusing only on ROI instead of policy alignment or regulatory compliance)
- Failing to demonstrate knowledge of Northern European government structures or EU decision-making processes
- Overlooking the mission-driven aspect: not connecting your sales approach to Planet's goal of 'impactful stewardship' and environmental outcomes
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!