Technical Program Manager, Trade Compliance

planetlabs

Washington, DC; Denver, CO · Washington · Colombia

Posted Jun 29, 2026

Full-time
Remote
Program Management

Apply on company site

Job description

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 looking for a Technical Program Manager (TPM) for Trade Compliance to embed directly within our product and software development and data analytics teams. Your mission is to drive compliance to enable product and software delivery in a rapid development environment. You will take complex regulatory requirements and turn them into pragmatic, scalable product features and workflows.

Because our cutting-edge products serve a diverse client base ranging from commercial and Civil Government customers to the military and intelligence community, you will navigate the complex intersection of ITAR/EAR and OFAC/sanctions requirements as well as globally applicable equivalents. You will ensure trade compliance requirements are built into our product and software development architecture and deployment workflows to support product team innovation.

This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our Washington, DC or Denver, CO office 3 days per week.

Impact You'll Own:

Drive and enable trade compliance as a scalable, structured framework rather than ad-hoc requirements, enabling compliance to be built seamlessly into a rapid development environment.
Collaborate with product managers and engineers to understand product roadmaps and product lifecycle, and drive trade compliance requirements.
Apply a pragmatic, risk-based approach to compliance. Evaluate technical trade-offs and guide product teams on how to meet ITAR/EAR without sacrificing speed-to-market.
Manage the contract and relationship with compliance vendors.
Conduct and document systematic Export Classification Orders of Review (e.g., ITAR and EAR) for complex data analytics and software solutions.
Establish and maintain rigorous contemporaneous documentation tracking design intent/decisions and their impact on the export controls associated with the product/solution.
To ensure ITAR/EAR compliance, design, implement, and audit strict technical access controls to govern product development work amongst US and non-US based software development teams based upon product/software classification.
Work with product teams to develop Know Your Customer (KYC) and restricted party screening processes and workflows to tie into Planet’s restricted party screening solution and ensure compliance with OFAC/sanctions requirements (and applicable global equivalents).

What You Bring:

4 to 6 years of relevant experience in export controls, international trade compliance, or regulatory compliance program management within a high-tech or aerospace environment.
Practical knowledge of ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and EAR (Export Administration Regulations), specifically as they apply to software, dual-use items, encryption, and satellite/geospatial data analytics.
Technical Vocabulary: Ability to understand and converse fluently in "product language" (e.g., APIs, cloud infrastructure, containerization, and data pipeline architecture) to effectively translate across product/engineering roadmaps and compliance.
Experience with the product life cycle: concept through development, launch preparation, go-to-market, deprecations, and end-of-life.
Analytical, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills paired with the ability to communicate findings and recommendations.
Equally comfortable explaining your analyses and recommendations to business leaders as you are discussing technical trade-offs with engineers.
Ability to balance the tactical day-to-day with forward-looking improvements to scale operational efficiencies.
Experience working inside dynamic software engineering environments: CI/CD pipelines, cloud infrastructure, and Agile methodologies.

What Makes You Stand Out:

Ability to obtain clearance.
Experience with remote sensing, earth observation data, or geospatial systems.
Experience working with remote, worldwide teams.
Demonstrated success in optimizing processes and tools to scale development cycles.
Proactive approach to learning and applying emerging regulatory standards to product development.

Application Deadline:

September 17, 2026 at 11:59pm PT

EAR/ITAR Requirements:

This position requires access to export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Benefits While Working at Planet:

These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution
Generous Paid Time Off in addition to holidays and company-wide days off
16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Home Office Reimbursement
Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
Equity
Commuter Benefits (if local to an office)
Volunteering Paid Time Off

Compensation:

The US base salary range for this full-time position at the commencement of employment is listed below. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity). The final salary range is determined by job related experience, skills and location. The range displays our typical hiring range for new hire salaries in US locations only. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

New York City + California Salary Range

$136,000—$170,000 USD

San Francisco Salary Range

$144,500—$180,600 USD

US National Salary Range

$127,000—$158,700 USD

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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 accommodations@planet.com 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.

AI in Our Interviewing Process: Planet is committed to providing an exceptional interview experience for all candidates. We currently use Metaview to better focus on candidates and less on trying to capture notes. As such, with the candidate's consent, select interviews may be recorded and include a "Planet AI Notetaker" for transcription and summarization purposes. Should an interview involve use of AI interview technologies, the candidate will receive notification and have the ability to opt out both in advance and/or real-time. Opting out will not affect one's candidacy.

Candidate AI Policy: Planet embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, and we encourage its responsible use. We understand that candidates may use various resources, including AI tools, to prepare for interviews and assessments. However, during any live interview stage or when actively completing assessments for this position, the use of AI tools—e.g. Large Language Models (LLMs), deep fake technology, etc.—is strictly prohibited unless explicitly prompted by an interviewer or assessment instructions. If you are unsure about acceptable use, please contact your recruiter for clarification. If an AI tool or similar technology is desired as an accommodation, please contact accommodations@planet.com with your request for assistance. Your message will be confidential, and we will be happy to assist you. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification of your application.