Director of Pre-Sales, Global Defence & Intelligence
About this role
Global defence institutions struggle to integrate vast satellite imaging datasets into complex military operations and intelligence workflows without dedicated technical leadership. Planet addresses this challenge by hiring a Director of Pre-Sales for Global Defence & Intelligence to guide a distributed team of solution architects toward securing large-scale government contracts.
Working alongside internal sales teams, product engineering, and space systems, the chosen leader will design tailored geospatial solutions and lead strategic customer engagements with military commanders and procurement officers. The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in remote sensing and government defence frameworks with proven experience managing specialized technical sales teams across international markets.
What you will do
- Recruit, coach, and develop a global team of specialized Defence & Intelligence Pre-Sales Solution Architects.
- Support global sales teams and partner ecosystems by providing technical sales capabilities to win new defense programs.
- Apply expertise in remote sensing, imagery analytics, and data architecture to design solutions supporting military operations and intelligence workflows.
- Lead customer engagements, workshops, pilots, and technical demonstrations tailored to defense commanders and intelligence analysts.
- Collaborate with professional services and customer success teams to ensure flawless execution from validation to operational delivery.
- Feed insights, security requirements, and intelligence use cases back to product and marketing teams to shape the roadmap.
- Serve as a core member of the global pre-sales and services leadership team to drive overarching department strategy.
What you need
- Bring over 8 years of relevant work experience alongside at least 6 years of supervisory or leadership experience managing technical sales teams.
- Possess a minimum of 8 years of professional experience working within a Defence & Intelligence environment.
- Hold an active Security Clearance or maintain eligibility to obtain suitable clearance for engaging military command levels.
- Demonstrate a solid grasp of military planning, intelligence workflows, and commercial Earth Observation data integration.
- Navigate complex government sales cycles, RFP or RFI processes, and defence contracting frameworks.
- Maintain fluency in geospatial system architectures, cloud environments, secure deployments, and API integrations.
- Communicate effectively with senior defense executives, military leaders, and procurement authorities to translate technical complexity into strategic value.
Nice to have
- Military or Veteran experience including former active Armed Forces Reserve or veteran intelligence professional background.
- Experience working with Sales Qualification frameworks and methodologies such as Challenger Sales or MEDDPICC.
- Understanding of AI-driven geospatial innovation including automated feature extraction, change detection, and foundation models.
- Experience co-selling and architecting solutions alongside major defense prime contractors, system integrators, and international allies.
Benefits
- Paid time off including vacation, holidays, and company-wide days off
- Employee Wellness Program
- Home Office Reimbursement
- Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
- Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
- Equity and volunteering opportunities
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the remote work policy for this position?
This is a full-time, remote position based in the UK or Germany. If located near an office, employees are expected to work from that office 3 days per week.
What is the salary range for this role in Germany?
The expected starting gross salary range for this role in Germany is €91.070 to €113.820 EUR. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, equity, and commission.
What security clearance requirements apply to this role?
Candidates must hold an active Security Clearance or be eligible to hold suitable clearance for engaging all levels of Military Command.