How to apply for Director of Sales, Europe

About Planet

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

About the role

The Director of Sales, Europe leads the regional sales organization and drives Planet's go-to-market strategy. The role focuses on accelerating revenue growth across national security, defense, and government sectors. It combines people management with business leadership and requires close work with a global remote team.

A typical day

A typical day might involve meeting with regional sales team members, reviewing pipeline for defense and government accounts, and coordinating with global teams on go-to-market plans. You would also spend time with customers or partners across Europe and report on revenue progress. Exact routines depend on the team structure, so ask about daily workflows and travel expectations during interviews.

Who Planet is looking for

• Has experience leading a regional sales organization and managing sales teams in Europe.
• Has a track record of selling into national security, defense, and government sectors.
• Understands go-to-market strategy and can execute it across multiple countries.
• Is comfortable working remotely and coordinating with global teams across time zones.

Tips for this application

• Name specific European defense or national security accounts or agencies you have sold to or managed relationships with.
• Quantify revenue growth you have delivered in previous sales leadership roles, especially in government or defense markets.
• Explain how you have built or restructured a regional sales organization, including team size and territory coverage.
• Reference Planet's satellite constellation and cloud platform in your materials to show you understand the product.
• State your location in Germany and your ability to work remotely across European time zones.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your direct experience selling to national security, defense, and government buyers in Europe.', 'A concrete example of a go-to-market strategy you led and the revenue results it produced.', 'How you have managed and developed a distributed sales team across European markets.', "Why Planet's Earth-imaging data and cloud platform fit your understanding of the government and defense market."]

Research before applying

• Planet's satellite constellation, data products, and cloud platform, including what they offer to government and defense customers.
• Planet's existing presence in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands, and any European government contracts or partnerships.
• The competitive landscape for Earth-imaging and geospatial data in European defense and national security markets.
• Planet's go-to-market model and how regional sales teams fit into the global organization.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would structure a European sales organization for national security, defense, and government accounts.
• Your approach to building a go-to-market plan for a data or satellite imagery product in Europe.
• A time you turned around or accelerated revenue growth in a region or sector.
• How you manage a remote sales team across multiple European countries and time zones.
• Your familiarity with Planet's satellite data products and how they apply to defense and government use cases.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic sales leadership resume without mentioning defense, national security, or government sector experience.
• Failing to show familiarity with Planet's satellite data or cloud platform in the application.
• Not addressing how you would lead a remote team across Europe or manage regional complexity.