Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Product Manager, High Resolution Imagery
at Planet
🏢 About Planet
Planet is unique as the world's leading provider of daily, global Earth-imaging satellite data, operating the largest fleet of Earth observation satellites. The company empowers governments, businesses, and researchers with timely geospatial intelligence to address critical challenges like climate change, agriculture, and disaster response. Working at Planet means contributing to meaningful environmental stewardship through cutting-edge technology that literally provides a new perspective on our planet.
About This Role
This Senior Product Manager role specifically focuses on Planet's high-resolution imagery products, with critical responsibility for the strategic transition from SkySat to the newly launched Pelican mission. You'll drive end-to-end product strategy for high-resolution imagery, directly impacting how customers access and utilize premium Earth observation data. This role is impactful because it shapes the core imagery products that power critical decisions in defense, agriculture, and environmental monitoring worldwide.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day involves analyzing customer usage patterns of high-resolution imagery, collaborating with image processing teams to address quality issues, and making strategic decisions about Pelican mission product features. You'll spend time aligning engineering, quality, and business stakeholders on product priorities while refining requirements based on customer feedback from defense, agriculture, and environmental sectors.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Planet Is Looking For
- Has 6+ years of product management experience specifically in Earth Observation, geospatial technology, or satellite/remote sensing data products
- Possesses deep technical understanding of satellite imagery pipelines, including image processing, quality metrics, and delivery systems
- Demonstrates experience managing complex product transitions between legacy and new systems (like SkySat to Pelican)
- Can show proven ability to balance technical trade-offs in data products while meeting diverse customer needs across government and commercial sectors
📝 Tips for Applying to Planet
Explicitly mention experience with satellite imagery or remote sensing data products in your resume summary - don't make them search for it
Quantify your impact on previous geospatial or Earth observation products (e.g., 'improved image delivery time by X%' or 'increased customer adoption by Y%')
Research and reference Planet's specific missions (SkySat, Pelican) and how your experience relates to their technical capabilities
Highlight any experience working with image processing, quality assurance, or engineering teams in technical product development
Demonstrate understanding of Planet's customer base by mentioning specific use cases like agriculture monitoring, defense intelligence, or disaster response
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your specific experience with Earth observation or geospatial product management and how it applies to high-resolution imagery', 'Examples of managing complex product transitions or migrations between systems (directly relevant to SkySat to Pelican)', "How you've balanced technical trade-offs in data products while meeting diverse customer requirements", 'Your approach to collaborating with technical teams (image processing, quality, engineering) to improve product pipelines']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Planet's specific satellite missions (SkySat, Pelican) - their capabilities, resolutions, and differences
- → Planet's recent product announcements and how high-resolution imagery fits into their overall product portfolio
- → The company's key customer case studies across defense, agriculture, and environmental sectors
- → Planet's public materials about their image processing pipelines and quality standards
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying with generic product management experience without highlighting Earth observation or geospatial domain expertise
- Failing to demonstrate understanding of satellite imagery technical concepts or remote sensing terminology
- Not showing awareness of Planet's specific missions and how this role fits into their current product strategy
📅 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!