Technical Program Manager

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 headquartered in San Francisco, California, Earth.

About the Role:  

As a Product Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Planet, your role is highly visible and cross functional.  You will lead complex, multi-disciplinary projects using your engineering, product and program expertise. You will develop and manage end to end program plans and support requirement reviews with internal customers and usher projects through the development 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 executives as you are discussing the technical trade-offs in product development with engineers.

Promote collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams including Planet’s Engineering, Product Management, Product Marketing, Business Development, Sales - Customer Success (pre and post), and Operations for product planning to launches. You will be expected to support roadmap or planning activities as needed within the Product Management and Engineering teams.

Impact You’ll Own:

• Lead release planning activities for projects assigned and effectively track program release progress
• Partner with key program stakeholders (Product Managers, Product Marketing and Engineering teams, Customer Success, etc) to scope and execute across various technical projects
• Communicate vertically & horizontally across Planet to keep stakeholders informed of technical progress, priorities, risks, and any changes to requirements or plans
• Conduct effective meetings and maintain minutes/notes & follow up on action items
• Drive on-going process improvements across engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure productivity and progress on multiple projects
• As a part of an agile, interdisciplinary team, you will work closely with engineering teams, product managers, designers, QA Engineers and front & backend developers to create user-centered products
• You will contribute to and improve architecture, development processes and system design changes work back with the team
• As a part of the on-call duty rotation team, you will help maintain a high level of quality and service for our customers

What You Bring:

• 6+ years of Software Development, Enterprise Architecture, Technical Program & Product Management experience.
• Bachelor's or master's Degree in computer science, engineering, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to Influence without authority (principles of a servant leader) and working with multiple roles across the organizations
• Proven experience in managing / leading cross-functional projects with stakeholders across a company. 
• Proven experience with scrum framework across multiple teams & projects with a deep understanding of Agile and Lean principles
• Proven ability to facilitate technical discussions with a team. Promoting healthy debate,  encouraging and supporting every member of the team to have a voice. If technical disagreements arise, facilitate the discussion towards a solution but always drive and own the final decision.
• Solid grasp of the business side of technology with an understanding and enthusiasm for metrics and analysis to deliver on business objectives
• Strong grasp of agile development methods & software engineering fundamentals
• Experience with Python, Github & DevOps Platform, Jenkins, PostGIS
• Solid background with Data Studio, SignalFX, and Kibana
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills
• Must be positive & energetic, creative, and self-motivated

Benefits While Working at Planet:

• Be part of a vibrant international company of 45+ nations with office locations in different countries
• Sense of belonging in a diverse and inclusive culture
• Experience a fast-paced spacetech environment
• Countless opportunities to connect within and outside of work with regular team events  
• Personal development with annual L&D budget
• Join our regular hack-weeks and meetup events to exchange knowledge
• Employee Resource Groups that provide safe and empowering spaces for connection and mentorship
• Give back to the community by using one day per quarter for charitable work as part of our 1% Pledge
• Health programs and flexible working hours to support work life balance
• Be part of our growth: we offer equity options for our employees
• Daily virtual mindful bodywork sessions to stay healthy
• We offer equipment and wellbeing support during these challenging times 
• Additional contributions to Company Pension schemes
• Enjoy unique offers and discounts for companies/web shops 
• Additional Company Holidays

Some Press About Us: 

Our CEO, Will Marshall featured on TED and featured in a Planet Blog

“Planet: Bringing Space Back Down to Earth”

Tiny, privately owned satellites are changing how we view the Earth features in NBC News

“Planet And Rocket Lab Create Mission Patch To Honor Women In Aerospace” —Planet Blog

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 with diversity, equity and inclusion.  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. 

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 interview process, please call Planet's front office at 669-214-9404 or contact your recruiter with your request. Your message will be confidential and we will be happy to assist you.

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