Director of Government Affairs @ Planet

Consulting (1)

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’re seeking a Director for Government Affairs in the United Kingdom who can directly and fully engage in the United Kingdom policy, budget, and legislative environments. In addition, the role will support efforts to monitor and influence policy and budget environments for NATO. The position will support both national security and civil government interactions and opportunities. The position will interact directly with legislators, ministers, and policy shapers at the national level in the United Kingdom, as well as support engagements with NATO policy shapers (primarily through national delegations). 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 UK government, including Parliamentary procedures and committees; 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 the United Kingdom for both national security and civil society.

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, in-person position based in the United Kingdom.

Impact You’ll Own:

Demonstrate thought leadership in the UK policy community - both in the national security and civil society space
Support engagements with NATO national delegation leadership to shape policy and funding opportunities
Communicate Planet’s unique value proposition to the UK 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 UK and NATO ecosystems

What You Bring:

12+ years of relevant experience
Experience succeeding in the private and public sector in the United Kingdom
Excellent project, time, and budget management skills, and being able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without sacrificing attention to detail
Outstanding communication (speaking and writing in 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
Ability to travel to London up to 5 days per week

What Makes You Stand Out:

Direct and recent experience in London with the UK public institutions, including but not limited to: Parliament, HM Treasury, UKSA, DSIT, Ministry of Defense, and other relevant ministries, and NATO
Direct and recent experience working on space/data policy and/or national security technology policy
Experience in drafting white and position papers
Direct and recent experience in forming partnerships within the space industry to advance shared priorities

Application Deadline:

October 10, 2025 by 23:59 Pacific Daylight Time (11:59 PM PDT)

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

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 [email protected] 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.

Director of Government Affairs

Government Affairs

Planet

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

What critics are saying

What makes Planet unique

Your Connections

Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth