Account Executive, Defence & Intelligence

About the Role

We are looking for an Account Executive, Defence & Intelligence who will be responsible for growing Planet’s Government sales pipeline and book of business in Government Intelligence, Defense and National Security institutions for Japan.  The ideal candidate for this position is a driven, independent thinker, who can also be creative in finding new and dynamic ways to expand Planet’s government business. This person will have a proven track record of selling in government and defense, with an extensive network and able to navigate procurement processes and frameworks. They will identify, qualify, negotiate, and close large and medium-size deals and drive sales revenue targets. The ideal candidate will have Military experience, technical understanding of geo-spatial imagery products (or a related technical field) and understanding of government customers that we sell to.

This role involves developing an extensive pipeline of new sales leads, providing product and sales demonstrations to prospective customers, and formulating appropriate business. To support this, the D&I Account Executive should have the ability to forecast accurately when managing the incoming pipeline of opportunities. The need to source, sell, co-sell, and close deals means that the ideal candidate should be familiar with the concepts of carrying quota and closing. Above all else, we want our potential D&I Account Executive to enjoy our unique value proposition and join us in Planet’s mission to see change and change the world.

This is a full-time, remote position based in Japan. If located near an office, you are expected to work from that office 3 days per week.

Impact You’ll Own

• Develop the sales pipeline needed to achieve or exceed your sales targets and goals.
• Collaborate with the Government Sales team and Leadership.
• Work with Planet’s marketing team to run campaigns to attract and identify new opportunities.
• Work with Business Development to grow a pipeline of opportunities with strategic accounts.
• Prospect and develop business relationships, close sales, and manage customer expectations as the company grows.
• Collaborate with the whole commercial organisation to foster close customer relationships based on trust and integrity.
• Engage qualified prospects and take them through the journey of identifying the value proposition for Planet solutions and negotiating through agreement/contract/procurement obstacles to achieve an ultimate win.
• Manage the contracting and Government procurement process.
• Work closely with pre-sales/solution architect staff to ensure technical validation of the Planet solution and achieve a technical win.
• Work closely with our post-sales organization and Customer Success team to ensure a successful onboarding for new customers and maintain/grow a relationship.
• Work strategically to develop the pipeline of qualified opportunities needed to achieve or exceed your sales targets and goals.
• Maintain an extensive level of pipeline hygiene using Salesforce.com.
• Collaborate and innovate as needed to create customer-facing presentations and proposals unique to the prospect and situation.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s Degree or commensurate professional experience
• Experience successfully finding and winning business with Government customers, such as the Military of Defense, an Intelligence account, or similar
• Excellent relationships across Japanese Government and the partner ecosystem
• 6+ years of related experience in Enterprise Solution Sales required along with a successful track record
• 6+ years of experience selling to government customers, including understanding the nuances of Government sales cycles and how to navigate through the process
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to be self-motivated and work independently under tight deadlines in a dynamic environment
• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills
• Negotiation and persuasion skills
• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills
• Experience with Salesforce.com or a similar CRM System
• Fluent in English, the working language of the company and Japanese
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the year

What Makes You Stand Out

• Active Armed Forces Reserve or veteran as a relevant intelligence professional
• Deep understanding of the value of commercial Earth Observation imagery in supporting the work of the D&I user.

Application Deadline

September 27, 2026 by 23:59 CET (Central European Time)

Benefits While Working at Planet

• 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