Senior Technical Program Manager

Planet Labs PBC
parental leave, paid time off, tuition reimbursement
United States, California, San Francisco
645 Harrison Street (Show on map)
Apr 11, 2025
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: As a Senior Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Planet, you will drive complex efforts that cross many teams and organizational boundaries. You will provide razor focus to enable execution, manage risk, and are the accountable leader to orchestrate these large-scale, cross-functional efforts. You will work closely with the Constellation Services leadership and team leads to develop and manage end to end program plans and support requirement reviews with external customers to usher projects through the entire project life cycle. This includes establishing and managing internal processes, project schedules, metrics, KPIs, identifying risks, and clearly communicating them to project stakeholders. You're equally at home explaining your team's analyses and recommendations to Constellation Services customers and company executives as you are discussing the technical trade-offs in product development with engineers. This Senior TPM hire will be a member of the Space Business Group which is responsible for incubating and executing commercial space missions. The group is chartered with realizing the success of the team's portfolio of commercial space missions by orchestrating activities across Planet's space, product, and commercial teams. In particular, you will be supporting a Mission Director to formulate, develop, and deploy a new Pelican ground station capability that offers Constellation Services customers best in class latency and tasking control. To that end, you promote collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams including Engineering teams (Space Systems, Software Engineering) and Product Management all in an effort to ensure the assigned program is executed smoothly and on time. You will be expected to act as a core member of the Program Management Team meeting customer requirements and the overall Constellation Services strategy. As a key player in commercializing space missions, this role will have the opportunity to apply strategic thinking and influence Planet's technology development roadmap. This position will provide recommendations to leadership to synthesize and prioritize technology initiatives so that Planet can maximize the return on investment for Planet's current development obligations. This is a full-time, hybrid position based in the San Francisco Bay Area and is expected to work in our San Francisco HQ approximately 3 days per week. Impact You'll Own: Lead Constellation Services development initiatives from formulation through operations and sustainment. Enhance the quality and viability of the Pelican and Tanager mission lines through delivering new innovative system capabilities Bring an understanding of ground segment architecture and work in partnership with the Mission Directors to orchestrate cross-functional efforts primarily in support of advanced tasking capabilities Partner with key program stakeholders (Product Manager, Engineering teams, and others) to scope, prioritize, and execute strategic research and development projects to improve operational systems Communicate vertically & horizontally across Planet to keep stakeholders informed of technical progress, priorities, risks, and any changes to requirements or plans for both tactical and strategic issues Facilitate technical discussions and decisions with a broad team. What You Bring: 6+ years of Technical Program Management or Product Management experience. Proven experience in managing/leading cross-functional projects with stakeholders across a broad organization, manage tight timelines and high customer impact using project management best practices and tools Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills paired with the ability to communicate findings and recommendations Strong project management and some systems engineering experience with a strong foundation in leading engineering projects Experience with aerospace programs, ground stations, software, or space systems Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and working with multiple roles across the company or organization Eligible for US Export Control licenses such as ITAR and EAR What Makes You Stand Out: Experience with the full project lifecycle: concept initiation through deployment Experience with developing new technology and extending established capabilities Demonstrated self-starter who initiates efforts and augments existing programs with new ideas Experience in cloud computing, platform development and integrations; to include storage, administration, APIs, Analytics, UX, and derived data products. Application Deadline: June 23, 2025 by 11:59 pm PDT EAR/ITAR Requirements: This position requires access to export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate's ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Benefits While Working at Planet: These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy. Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution Generous Paid Time Off in addition to holidays and company-wide days off 16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave Remote-friendly work environment Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Home Office Reimbursement Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning Equity Commuter Benefits (if local to an office) Volunteering Paid Time Off Compensation: The US base salary range for this full-time position at the commencement of employment is listed below. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity). The final salary range is determined by job related experience, skills and location. The range displays our typical hiring range for new hire salaries in US locations only. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. San Francisco Salary Range $144,500 — $180,600 USD 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. Privacy Policy: By clicking "Apply Now" at the top of this job posting, I acknowledge that I have read the Planet Data Privacy Notice for California Staff Members and Applicants, and hereby consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of my personal information as described therein. 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.