Director, Sales Development

Planet•San Francisco, CA

11h•Hybrid

About The Position

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 are hiring for a Director of Sales Development based in the United States to build, scale, and transform our global Sales Development organization into a world-class pipeline generation and talent development unit. In this role, you will own the overarching strategy, operating model, and execution of Sales Development globally, ensuring our team creates a predictable pipeline and drives revenue growth. As a foundational leader of a high-growth business, you will manage a high-performing team of Strategic Sales Development Representatives while potentially overseeing SDR Managers as the organization scales. This role is a critical intersection of high-level strategy and relentless, outside-the-box execution - perfect for a leader who can build repeatable playbooks from scratch to penetrate new markets, maximize existing territories, and navigate multiple complex regions. We are looking for future Planeteers who are passionate about our mission, leadership, sales, and technology. This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week.

Requirements

8+ years of relevant work experience in Sales Development, Inside Sales, Sales Leadership, or related commercial roles in a B2B SaaS environment.
6+ years of supervisory/leadership experience.
Proven leadership experience building, scaling, and managing global Sales Development teams
A track record of balancing high-level organizational strategy with a granular, execution-focused understanding of modern outbound tactics.
Demonstrated success navigating enterprise sales cycles, executing account-based motions, and understanding multiple distinct regional or vertical markets.
Demonstrated analytical skills with the ability to use data to drive decisions, track KPIs, and build scalable operating models from ambiguity.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with a demonstrated ability to lead change and influence across functions (Marketing, Operations, Product, and Sales).

Nice To Haves

Domain expertise in GEOINT, satellite imaging, remote imaging, or deep tech spaces.
Previous leadership or market expansion experience within key verticals: aerospace, agriculture, energy, state and local governments, or federal/defense sectors.
Deep understanding and experience implementing methodology frameworks such as MEDDPICC, Challenger Sales, and/or the Science of Sales Development at an organizational level.
Advanced expertise in optimizing and managing a modern sales tech stack (e.g., Salesforce, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Gong, and email automation tools).
Experience managing SDR Managers/Team Leads.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the global Sales Development strategy to create a predictable pipeline and drive worldwide revenue growth.
Design "outside-the-box" outbound and account-based motions to penetrate new verticals, existing markets, and complex regions across NAM, EMEA and LATAM
Lead, coach, and scale a global team of SDRs and managers, building clear career paths into AE, Customer Success, or Operations roles.
Act as a critical partner to Sales VPs, Marketing, and Sales Operations to maximize campaign conversion and lead handoff efficiency.
Build and standardize comprehensive playbooks, scaling processes through automation, data-driven decisions, and tech stack optimization.
Translate high-level corporate strategy into clear execution plans, directly impacting Planet's topline commercial performance.