How to apply for D&I Program Manager, Professional Services

About Planet

Planet operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history and delivers a cloud-based platform for customers in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. It is both a space company and a data company, controlling hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering. Employees work remotely worldwide or from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.

About the role

This role is a program manager position on the Global Professional Services team. The main focus is driving complex projects that help governmental customers adopt the Planet Platform and its data products. You will work with cross-functional teams, both technical and non-technical, to scale that adoption.

A typical day

A typical day might involve coordinating with technical teams on platform integration tasks, meeting with governmental customers to review adoption progress, and updating project plans for multiple stakeholders. You would also spend time communicating across time zones with colleagues in different offices. The exact routine depends on the team and current projects, so ask about typical workflows during the interview.

Who Planet is looking for

• Experience managing complex projects for governmental customers, ideally in a professional services or customer-facing capacity.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams that include both technical and non-technical members.
• Familiarity with remote work and global collaboration, since Planet has employees worldwide.
• Understanding of how satellite data or cloud-based platforms are adopted by large organizations, or willingness to learn the Planet Platform and its data products.

Tips for this application

• Read the full job description carefully. The listing provided here is truncated, so check Planet's careers page for the complete requirements and responsibilities.
• Highlight any past work with governmental customers or public sector projects in your resume, since the role specifically focuses on scaling governmental adoption.
• Mention specific examples of cross-functional program management, especially where you coordinated technical and non-technical teams.
• Show familiarity with Planet's data products or the Earth-imaging industry. Even basic knowledge of how satellite data is used by governments will help.
• Address the remote nature of the role. Explain how you have managed projects across time zones or distributed teams.

What to cover in your cover letter

Focus on your experience managing programs for government clients. Describe a time you helped a governmental customer adopt a complex technical platform. Explain how you worked with both technical and non-technical teams to deliver results. Mention why Planet's satellite data and cloud platform interest you specifically, not just any space company.

Research before applying

• Study Planet's satellite constellation and the types of data it provides. Look at their website for case studies involving government customers.
• Research the Global Professional Services team at Planet. Try to find blog posts, interviews, or LinkedIn profiles of current team members to understand how they work.
• Understand Planet's remote work model and global offices. Check if there are specific expectations for collaboration across time zones.
• Look into recent news about Planet's government contracts or partnerships to see what kinds of projects the professional services team might support.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you approach scaling adoption of the Planet Platform for a new governmental customer?
• Describe a complex project you managed that involved both technical and non-technical stakeholders. What was your process?
• What do you know about Planet's satellite constellation and data products? How would you explain their value to a government agency?
• How do you handle competing priorities when working with cross-functional teams in a remote environment?
• Give an example of a time you had to adapt a program plan because of a customer's changing needs or technical constraints.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without reading the full job description. The provided details are incomplete, so relying only on this summary could mean missing key requirements.
• Using generic program management language without connecting it to governmental customers or satellite data. The role is specific, so your application should be too.
• Ignoring the remote aspect. If you have no experience working remotely or with distributed teams, address how you would handle it rather than leaving it unmentioned.