Manager – Workplace & Facilities

About the Role:  

The Manager, Workplace & Facilities leads Workplace operations for our Berlin site and provides regional leadership across our EMEA offices.

Ideal candidates are collaborative leaders who excel in operational excellence. Based in Berlin, this role leads a team responsible for workplace operations, facilities, hospitality, and employee services across a five-floor office and manufacturing site supporting approximately 300 employees. The role serves as the senior Workplace contact onsite and partners closely with local leadership, Manufacturing, People Team (HR), Security, Corporate Engineering, and other teams.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll lead and develop the Workplace team while staying closely involved in day-to-day operations. The role requires someone who can set direction, build strong processes, and develop the team, while also stepping in when needed to solve problems, remove blockers, and directly support operational work across the office and region.

While Berlin is the primary focus of the role, this role also provides leadership and oversight across our Workplace teams in Ljubljana, Haarlem, and London. Regular travel to our regional offices is required, with occasional travel to our U.S. offices.

This is a full-time, in-office position based in our Berlin office 5 days per week.

Impact You’ll Own:

• Spearhead and develop the Berlin Workplace team across office operations, facilities, hospitality, and front-of-house services.
• Own day-to-day Workplace operations, budget management, vendor performance, landlord relationships, and operational escalations for the Berlin site.
• Serve as the primary Workplace partner to Berlin leadership and the first senior escalation point for Workplace matters.
• Partner with Manufacturing leadership to support an integrated office and manufacturing site, including shared building services, security and access, employee onboarding, communications, and workplace operations.
• Establish clear ways of working between Workplace and Manufacturing while maintaining defined ownership of manufacturing operations and equipment.
• Oversee major Workplace events and projects by setting scope, budget, timelines, responsibilities, and operating plans for the team.
• Lead Workplace teams and operating budgets across Ljubljana, Haarlem, and London and provide regional coaching, oversight, and escalation support.
• Lead Workplace planning for executive, customer, and other high-profile visits in partnership with Executive Assistants, Manufacturing, Security, and other teams.
• Lead Workplace onboarding for new employees across the Berlin site, including manufacturing employees.
• Manage Workplace communications, employee feedback, and change management related to the Berlin site.
• Support regional office projects, expansions, and workplace changes led by the Senior Director, Workplace and Employee Experience.
• Apply established global Workplace policies and standards across EMEA and escalate opportunities for broader changes.
• Partner with People Team and site leadership on employee-related workplace matters, applying sound judgment, discretion, and consistent workplace practices.

What You Bring:

• Typically 6 to 8 years relevant work experience.
• 4 to 6 years supervisory or leadership experience.
• Experience managing workplace operating budgets, vendors, service contracts, and landlord relationships.
• Experience leading projects involving multiple teams, timelines, budgets, and operational dependencies.
• Experience partnering with senior executives and making independent workplace operating decisions.
• Experience managing office operations, facilities services, hospitality, and employee-facing workplace programs.
• Ability to identify competing stakeholder needs, define responsibilities, and drive issues to resolution.
• Ability to communicate workplace changes, operational requirements, and risks to employees and senior leaders.
• Ability to operate across both strategic planning and hands-on workplace needs.
• Ability to navigate sensitive employee and stakeholder matters with discretion, sound judgment, and diplomacy.
• Professional working proficiency in German and English.
• Ability to travel within EMEA approximately quarterly.

What Makes You Stand Out:

• Experience leading Workplace operations across multiple countries or locations.
• Experience supporting a combined office and manufacturing, research and development, laboratory, or other technical environment.
• Experience supporting executive, customer, or other high-profile visits.
• Experience with workplace construction, office expansions, or major site transitions.
• Experience leading workplace change management or employee onboarding programs.

Application Deadline:

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting may be removed earlier than projected if a suitable pool of applications has been received. For this reason, we recommend applying as soon as you are able to.

Export Control Requirements:

Planet Labs Germany GmbH is authorized to receive U.S. export-controlled information at Planet under an export license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security. This position requires access to U.S. and German/EU 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 German, EU, or U.S. authorities.

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

Compensation:

The expected starting gross salary range for this role is listed below. Individual placement within this range is determined objectively based on gender-neutral criteria such as your skills, qualifications, and professional experience. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity.

Germany Salary Range 68500 - 85600 EUR