Application Guide

How to Apply for Director, Pre-Sales, EMEA

at Planet

🏢 About Planet

Planet is unique as the world's leading provider of daily, global Earth-imaging satellite data, enabling organizations to monitor environmental changes, humanitarian crises, and economic activity in near real-time. Working here means contributing directly to impactful stewardship of our planet through cutting-edge technology that addresses global challenges like climate change, deforestation, and food security.

About This Role

As Director of Pre-Sales for EMEA, you'll lead a team of Solution Architects to drive technical sales strategy across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, directly influencing how organizations leverage Planet's satellite data for transformative outcomes. This role is impactful because you'll shape how governments, NGOs, and businesses use Earth observation data to make data-driven decisions that affect environmental sustainability and global operations.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves morning syncs with your distributed EMEA pre-sales team to review strategic opportunities, followed by coaching sessions on complex technical proposals. You might spend afternoons collaborating with sales leadership on account strategy for key European clients, then review technical architectures for upcoming proposals involving Planet's satellite data integration with client cloud environments.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Planet Is Looking For

  • Has 6+ years managing technical sales teams in software/SaaS environments, specifically with experience scaling pre-sales functions in EMEA markets
  • Possesses deep technical fluency in cloud architectures (AWS/Azure/GCP) and complex data pipelines, with ability to articulate how satellite imagery integrates with enterprise systems
  • Demonstrates consultative selling expertise with executive stakeholders in sectors like agriculture, government, or environmental monitoring
  • Combines leadership experience with hands-on technical proposal writing for complex, multi-stakeholder solutions involving geospatial data

📝 Tips for Applying to Planet

1

Quantify your EMEA pre-sales leadership impact: Include specific metrics about team growth, revenue influenced, or deal sizes you've driven in European/Middle Eastern markets

2

Highlight satellite/geospatial experience: Even if indirect, emphasize any work with GIS, remote sensing, or spatial data platforms that shows understanding of Planet's domain

3

Tailor your technical examples to Planet's stack: Mention experience with cloud data platforms, API integrations, or large-scale imagery/data processing relevant to daily satellite imagery

4

Demonstrate remote leadership capability: Since this is a UK-remote role, provide examples of successfully managing distributed technical teams across time zones

5

Connect to Planet's mission: Show how your technical sales experience aligns with 'impactful stewardship' by mentioning environmental or social impact projects you've supported

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience building and scaling pre-sales teams in EMEA, specifically for technical/SaaS products', "How you've driven technical sales strategies for data-intensive platforms (especially geospatial or imagery solutions)", 'Examples of engaging C-level executives in consultative selling for mission-critical solutions', 'Your approach to developing technical talent and creating high-performance pre-sales cultures']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Planet's specific satellite constellations (Dove, SkySat) and their technical capabilities/resolutions
  • → Recent customer case studies on Planet's website, particularly in EMEA sectors like agriculture, forestry, or defense
  • → Planet's API documentation and developer tools to understand technical integration possibilities
  • → The competitive landscape in Earth observation (Maxar, Airbus, ICEYE) and Planet's differentiation

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you structure the first 90 days to assess and improve the EMEA pre-sales team's effectiveness?
2 Describe your experience selling complex data solutions to government or enterprise clients in European markets
3 How do you balance technical depth with business value when presenting satellite imagery solutions to non-technical executives?
4 What metrics would you track to measure pre-sales team performance and contribution to revenue growth?
5 How would you approach a competitive situation where a client is comparing Planet's daily imagery with lower-cost, less-frequent alternatives?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Generic leadership statements without EMEA-specific examples or metrics
  • Overemphasis on product management rather than technical sales leadership and team development
  • Lack of technical depth when discussing cloud architectures or data pipeline experience relevant to handling satellite imagery

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Planet!

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