Director of Government Affairs

Welcome to Planet. We believe in using space to help life on Earth.

Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. This constellation delivers an unprecedented dataset of empirical information via a revolutionary cloud-based platform to authoritative figures in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We are both a space company and data company all rolled into one.

Customers and users across the globe use Planet's data to develop new technologies, drive revenue, power research, and solve our world’s toughest obstacles.

As we control every component of hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering, our office is a truly inspiring mix of experts from a variety of domains.

We have a people-centric approach toward culture and community and we strive to iterate in a way that puts our team members first and prepares our company for growth. Join Planet and be a part of our mission to change the way people see the world.

Planet is a global company with employees working remotely world wide and joining us from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.

About the Role:

We are seeking a Director for Government Affairs based in Germany who can directly and fully engage in the German policy, budget, and legislative environments. The position will support both national security and civil government interactions and opportunities.  The Director of Government Affairs executes Planet’s government affairs strategy across German federal institutions and selected European stakeholders. The role is responsible for shaping engagement, surfacing political risk and opportunity, and ensuring coherent positioning across Planet. Strategic positions, escalation decisions, and external commitments are defined in coordination with Planet leadership and relevant program owners. This role does not carry independent commercial or program accountability.

The position will interact directly with Members of the Bundestag, the Chancellor’s office, Federal Ministers, and policy shapers at the national level in Germany.  The position will attend conferences and symposia and engage in relevant meetings with stakeholders and government officials.  The right person for Planet knows how to navigate the complex relationships of the German Federal Government, including the Bundestag and relevant Federal ministries (including the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space); has professional experience working with these institutions and detailed knowledge of their processes; and, knows how Planet’s unique capabilities - our agile approach to space technology and our online delivery of a first-of-its-kind data set - meet the requirements and needs of Germany for both national security and civil society. 

The role will also support Planet’s efforts to monitor and influence policy and budget environments for the EU, European Commission, ESA, and other relevant European entities.  The position will influence the European conversation primarily through partnerships with the German EU delegation and interest groups.

This position requires close coordination with both internal and external constituencies, and the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with Planet’s customers, potential government funders, NGOs, technical partners and team members around the world, in a highly-dynamic, high-growth commercial company. Planet’s services are novel, and thus we are looking for someone to simultaneously educate stakeholders on the broader context of the commercial aerospace opportunities while also specifically understanding short-term opportunities for Planet.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our Berlin office 3 days per week.

Impact You’ll Own:

• Demonstrate thought leadership in the German policy community—both in the national security and civil society space
• Support engagements with the EU, ESA, and European Commission (primarily through the German national delegation) to shape policy and funding opportunities 
• Communicate Planet’s unique value proposition to the German audience in terms of greatest relevance to that audience, with the ability to design and synthesize new kinds of analysis rather than copy existing approaches
• Communicate and collaborate with Planet’s government affairs, business development, and sales teams to develop approaches to capture new opportunities in the German ecosystem
• Act as a senior advisor and execution partner to sales, program, and regional teams
• Success in this role will result (and be measured) in increased trust and credibility with priority German government stakeholders, early identification and escalation of political risk before it impacts Planet’s business, and consistent, aligned external positioning across Planet

What You Bring:

• 12+ years of relevant experience
• Direct and recent experience in Berlin with German federal institutions, including but not limited to: Bundestag, Chancellor’s Office, Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, and other relevant federal ministries.
• Experience succeeding in the private and public sector in Germany
• Excellent project, time, and budget management skills, and being able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without sacrificing attention to detail
• Outstanding communication (fluent in both spoken and written German and English), interpersonal, and organizational skills
• Excellent presentation skills
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently in a high-growth, commercial company
• Ability to work closely with organizations in a wide variety of sectors
• Experience in lobby work and association working groups 
• Ability to meet with members of Government around Berlin up to 5 days per week

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Direct and recent experience in the EU and its institutions (European Commission etc.), ESA
• Direct and recent experience working on space/data policy and/or national security technology policy
• Experience in drafting position papers
• Direct and recent experience in forming partnerships within the space and defense industry to advance shared priorities

Application Deadline:

April 22, 2026 by 23:59 GMT

Benefits While Working at Planet:

These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.

• 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 
• Volunteering Paid Time Off

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Why we care so much about Belonging. 
We’re dedicated to helping the whole Planet, and to do that we must strive to represent all of it within each of our offices and on all of our teams. That’s why Planet is guided by an ultimate north star of Belonging—dreaming big as we approach our ongoing work.  If this job intrigues you, but you’re thinking you might not have all the qualifications, please... do apply!  At Planet, we are looking for well-rounded people from around the world who can contribute to more ways than just what is listed in this job description.  We don’t just fill positions, we aspire to fulfill people’s careers, most excited about folks who are motivated by our underlying humanitarian efforts.  We are a few orbits around the sun before we get to where we want to be, so we hope you’re excited to come along for the ride. 

EEO statement:
Planet is committed to building a community where everyone belongs and we invite people from all backgrounds to apply. Planet is an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Know Your Rights.

Accommodations: 
Planet is an inclusive community and we know that everyone has their own needs. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during the hiring process, please reach out to accommodations@planet.com or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.

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Privacy Policy (European Applicants): By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Candidate Privacy Notice GDPR Planet Labs Europe, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein.

AI in Our Interviewing Process: Planet is committed to providing an exceptional interview experience for all candidates. We are currently exploring AI interviewing technologies to better focus on candidates and less on trying to capture notes. As such, with the candidate's consent, select interviews may be recorded and include a Planet AI Notetaker for transcription and summarization purposes. Should an interview involve use of AI interview technologies, the candidate will receive notification and have the ability to opt out both in advance and/or real-time. Opting out will not affect one's candidacy.

Candidate AI Policy: Planet embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, and we encourage its responsible use. We understand that candidates may use various resources, including AI tools, to prepare for interviews and assessments. However, during any live interview stage or when actively completing assessments for this position, the use of AI tools—e.g. Large Language Models (LLMs), deep fake technology, etc.—is strictly prohibited unless explicitly prompted by an interviewer or assessment instructions. If you are unsure about acceptable use, please contact your recruiter for clarification. If an AI tool or similar technology is desired as an accommodation, please contact accommodations@planet.com with your request for assistance. Your message will be confidential, and we will be happy to assist you. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification of your application.