Intern, People Team Strategic Projects

Planet•San Francisco, CA

4h•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. Planet’s Summer 2026 internships are full-time, paid 12-week positions located in our San Francisco HQ Office. Planet is in the next stage of growth. As we scale, the People Team continues to build the foundational talent infrastructure required for Planet’s, with a focus on core strategic People Team Programs for FY’27. As a People Team Strategic Intern, you will play a central role in delivering these initiatives, which include the Leadership Competency Framework, the Manager Education & Enablement Program (Manager Essentials), and the Performance Management Redesign. Your project will involve supporting these strategic, executive-prioritized initiatives through applied research and project management that directly shapes how we hire, develop, promote, and lead.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, or a related field.
Solid research and analytical skills — you can gather information from multiple sources, identify patterns, and synthesize findings into clear, structured recommendations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills — you will create deliverables that need to be polished enough to present to senior leaders.
Intellectual curiosity about how organizations define and develop leadership — you are genuinely interested in what makes leaders effective and how companies build cultures of accountability and high performance.
Comfort working independently on a multi-week research project while managing your own timeline and deliverables.
Experience with Google Workspace or Microsoft Office for research documentation, analysis, and presentation creation.
Experience leveraging AI-powered tools for research and analysis - you can utilize generative AI to rapidly synthesize market data, identify key patterns, and draft comprehensive, structured reports.

Nice To Haves

Coursework or project experience in organizational development, talent management, competency modeling, or industrial-organizational psychology.
Previous internship or work experience in an HR, People Operations, or organizational development function.
Familiarity with competency frameworks such as Lominger, DDI, or Korn Ferry leadership models — even from an academic context.
Experience conducting qualitative research such as stakeholder interviews, focus groups, or survey design and analysis.
Interest in the aerospace, technology, or climate sectors and an understanding of how mission-driven companies approach leadership development.

Responsibilities

Conduct external market research on best practices for core People Team programs such as leadership competency models, manager enablement curriculum, and performance management systems.
Gather internal perspectives by interviewing or surveying cross-functional stakeholders and leaders to identify current capability gaps and validate design recommendations for the programs.
Synthesize research findings into structured recommendations that propose core elements for the Leadership Competency Framework, Manager Essentials curriculum, or other strategic talent initiatives.
Support the People Team in preparing materials for leadership alignment workshops where program designs and frameworks are reviewed, pressure-tested, and finalized with executive stakeholders.
Research how other organizations have integrated competency frameworks into their talent processes (hiring, performance management, promotion) and document integration recommendations for Planet.
Create clear, presentation-ready deliverables that communicate your research and recommendations to both the People Team and senior leadership audiences.
Contribute to the broader People Team’s strategic initiatives by participating in team meetings, learning about Planet’s people strategy, and gaining exposure to how HR operates at a scaling public company