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 Planets data to develop new technologies drive revenue power research and solve our worlds 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 Washington D.C. who can successfully engage in U.S. national security policy budget and legislative advocacy. The Director of Government Affairs will execute Planets government affairs strategy with Congress and U.S. national security agencies (including the Department of War the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency). The role is responsible for shaping engagement with legislative and executive branch agencies to advance Planets policy and business priorities. The Director of Government Affairs will work with the Global Government Affairs team Planets Business Development and Sales teams and Planet leadership to develop Planets strategic positions and priorities.

The position will interact directly with Members of Congress Congressional staff and national security policy leadership at the White House and relevant federal agencies. 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 U.S. Federal Government including Congress and relevant Federal agencies (including the Department of War NRO and NGA); has professional experience working with these institutions and detailed knowledge of their processes; and knows how Planets unique capabilities - our agile approach to space technology and our delivery of first-of-its-kind data and analytics - meet the requirements and needs of the U.S. National Security sector.

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

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

Impact Youll Own:

• Demonstrate thought leadership in the U.S. National Security policy community
• Lead national security engagements with Congress to shape policy and funding opportunities in key Appropriations and Authorization legislation
• Communicate Planets unique value proposition to the U.S. national security audience in terms of greatest relevance to that audience with the ability to design and synthesize new analysis and approaches
• Communicate and collaborate with Planets executive government affairs business development and sales teams to develop approaches to capture new opportunities in the national security ecosystem
• Act as a strategic advisor and execution partner to sales and customer success teams
• Success in this role will result in (and be measured against) increased trust and credibility with key U.S. national security stakeholders early identification of political and programmatic risk before it impacts Planets business and maintaining shaping and growing key U.S. government programs that leverage Planet capabilities

What You Bring:

• 8 years of relevant experience including 6 years of supervisory or leadership experience.
• Holds an active U.S. security clearance / is able to receive a U.S. Security Clearance (TS-SCI)
• Direct and recent experience in U.S. national security policy with Congress and relevant federal agencies
• Excellent project time and budget management skills and being able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without sacrificing attention to detail
• Outstanding communication 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 with lobbying or industry association advocacy
• Ability to meet with members of Government in Washington D.C. up to 5 days per week

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Direct and recent experience working on space/data policy and/or national security technology policy
• Experience succeeding in the private and public sector
• Experience in drafting position papers
• Direct and recent experience in forming partnerships within the space and defense industry to advance shared priorities

Application Deadline:

November 18 2026 at 11:59p PT

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
• 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 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.
Were 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. Thats why Planet is guided by an ultimate north star of Belongingdreaming big as we approach our ongoing work. If this job intrigues you but youre 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 dont just fill positions we aspire to fulfill peoples 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 youre 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 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 currently use Metaview to better focus on candidates and less on trying to capture notes. As such with the candidates 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 ones 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 toolse.g. Large Language Models (LLMs) deep fake technology 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 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.