How to apply for Senior Solutions Architect I, Pre-Sales - AUS

About Planet

Planet operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history and delivers that data through a cloud platform to commercial, environmental, and humanitarian users. The company controls hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering in-house, so employees work alongside experts across many domains. This role sits where satellite imagery meets defence and intelligence decision-making for Australia and New Zealand.

About the role

As a Senior Solutions Architect I on the Pre-Sales team, you work with the Australia and New Zealand Defence and Intelligence community. You design solutions that use Planet's satellite imagery and cloud platform for mission-critical decisions. You sit between the technology and the customer, shaping how Planet's data is applied to real operational problems.

A typical day

A typical day could involve meeting with an ANZ defence or intelligence customer to understand their operational problem, then working with Planet's engineering and product teams to shape a technical solution. You might also prepare demonstrations, respond to technical questions during a procurement, or coordinate with colleagues in other time zones. The exact rhythm depends on the sales cycle, so ask the hiring team how they divide time between customer meetings, internal work, and travel.

Who Planet is looking for

• Experience in pre-sales or solutions architecture, ideally selling technical data or imagery products to government, defence, or intelligence customers.
• Familiarity with Earth observation data, geospatial analysis, or cloud-based data platforms, and the ability to explain technical trade-offs to non-technical decision-makers.
• Understanding of Australian and New Zealand defence and intelligence structures, procurement processes, and security requirements.
• Ability to work remotely across time zones and collaborate with global teams in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.

Tips for this application

• Name the specific ANZ defence and intelligence agencies or programs you have worked with, if any, and describe the security clearances you hold or have held.
• Show how you have translated satellite imagery or geospatial data into a solution a customer actually bought or deployed, not just a technical demo.
• Reference Planet's constellation and cloud platform by name in your materials to show you understand what you would be selling.
• Explain how you have worked remotely with distributed teams, since Planet lists employees worldwide and this role is remote in Australia.
• Address the pre-sales aspect directly: describe a time you influenced a technical decision before a contract was signed.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your direct experience with ANZ defence or intelligence customers and any relevant clearances.', 'A concrete example of designing a technical solution that used geospatial, imagery, or cloud data for an operational customer.', 'Your ability to work across technical and non-technical audiences in a pre-sales context.', "Why Planet's combination of satellite hardware and cloud data platform fits your background specifically."]

Research before applying

• Planet's satellite constellation: what sensors, revisit rates, and data products they offer, and how the cloud platform delivers them.
• Planet's existing public work with government, defence, or intelligence customers, including any ANZ-related announcements.
• The structure of ANZ defence and intelligence organisations and their known Earth observation or geospatial programs.
• Planet's remote-first setup and the locations of its other offices, since you would coordinate with teams outside Australia.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would design a solution for an ANZ defence or intelligence customer using Planet's imagery and cloud platform.
• Your understanding of the ANZ defence and intelligence procurement landscape and how pre-sales fits into it.
• A walkthrough of a past pre-sales engagement where you shaped the technical approach.
• How you handle security, data sovereignty, or classification constraints when working with government customers.
• How you stay current on Earth observation technology and competitors in the satellite imagery market.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating this as a generic software pre-sales role and ignoring the satellite imagery and geospatial context.
• Not addressing the defence and intelligence customer base, which is the core of this position.
• Applying without any awareness of security clearance requirements or data handling constraints common in this sector.