About this role
An accomplished sales leader with deep defense domain expertise and a network across NATO and Northern European markets will thrive in this environment. Planet operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history, combining space hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering into a cloud-based platform that delivers empirical data to commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors.
The Director of Sales for Europe leads the regional sales organization, drives the Go-To-Market strategy, and accelerates revenue growth across national security, defense, and government sectors. Responsibilities include owning regional revenue targets, building and mentoring a team of direct reports, executing large-scale strategic programs, and scaling partner ecosystems to penetrate priority markets such as NATO and the Nordics.
This role exists to position Planet as a trusted capability provider for mission-critical operations by leveraging leadership experience and an established executive network spanning defense ministries and allied commands. Candidates who succeed here combine strategic commercial acumen with an understanding of collective defense priorities and possess a track record of managing high-performing teams.
What you will do
- Lead the regional sales organization to drive Go-To-Market strategy and accelerate revenue growth across national security, defense, and government sectors.
- Own regional revenue targets, drive executive alignment, and establish disciplined pipeline governance to ensure forecast predictability using Salesforce.com.
- Build, mentor, and coach a team of direct reports while fostering a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and continuous professional development.
- Architect large-scale strategic programs, lead high-stakes commercial negotiations, and scale partner ecosystems to penetrate priority markets across NATO and the Nordics.
- Orchestrate collaboration across internal matrix teams including Government Affairs, Product, Engineering, and Field Marketing to align corporate capabilities with regional opportunities.
- Train and inspect direct reports on core sales methodologies and capture frameworks such as MEDDPICC and Shipley.
What you need
- Bring 8+ years of relevant work experience with at least 6+ years in supervisory or leadership roles driving revenue growth and exceeding multi-million-dollar quotas.
- Demonstrate deep experience establishing pipeline discipline, accurate revenue forecasting, and deal inspection using Salesforce.com and modern sales methodologies.
- Possess extensive background navigating complex government, NATO, and defense procurement frameworks across Northern Europe and Allied Command structures.
- Maintain an established C-level network across Defense Ministries, Intelligence Agencies, Allied Commands, and European Defense Primes or System Integrators.
- Demonstrate professional working proficiency in English.
Nice to have
- 5+ years of progressive sales leadership and enterprise business development experience within the defense, national security, or government technology sectors
- Operational understanding of NATO defense priorities, Nordic security dynamics, and joint acquisition processes
- Experience managing complex, multi-year deal cycles with disciplined capture frameworks
- Professional proficiency in a Nordic language such as Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, or Danish
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 United Kingdom or Germany. If located near an office, you are expected to work from that office 3 days per week.
What is the salary range for the role?
The salary range for this position is €117.200 to €146.500 EUR.
What tools and frameworks are used for pipeline management?
The team maintains rigorous pipeline hygiene using Salesforce.com and core sales methodologies and capture frameworks such as MEDDPICC and Shipley.
What export control requirements apply to this position?
This position requires access to U.S. and German/EU export-controlled information, and employment is contingent upon meeting these requirements under an export license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security.