Senior Engineering Program Manager

Description

The company designs, builds and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history and sells its data through a cloud-based platform to customers in commercial, environmental and humanitarian work.

Customers use the data to build new technologies, grow revenue, support research and tackle large global problems.

The company controls hardware design, manufacturing, data processing and software itself, so the office brings together specialists from many fields.

The company is a global company. Staff work remotely around the world and also work from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and The Netherlands.

The role sits between hardware, engineering and external partners, driving complex spacecraft programs from early concept through to launch. You will help set strategy, solve problems, remove blockers, keep work on schedule and report status and issues throughout. The ideal candidate has deep technical knowledge across several areas of spacecraft design and manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead satellite development programs from requirements and planning through critical design, build, test and launch.
• Make sure every program phase runs efficiently, including MCR, SRR, PDR, CDR, IRR, SRR and LRR.
• Build project schedules and budgets and monitor performance in every phase.
• Oversee technical plans at every level, both inside the company and with external suppliers, covering project definition, budgeting and long-term strategy.
• Work with suppliers, partners, vendors and customers to manage deliverables, technical plans and program milestones.
• Coordinate schedules, priorities and status updates across engineering, manufacturing, teams, stakeholders and management.
• Work directly with several engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders to keep concurrent projects productive and moving.
• Build tools and processes that measure and improve engineering productivity.
• Lead root cause analysis, and find and remove blocking issues.
• Work directly with Program Management, Manufacturing Operations and Supply Chain to move concurrent manufacturing lines and initiatives forward.
• Lead manufacturing ramp programs from early factory engagement and readiness through key build phases into production.
• Investigate complex engineering and manufacturing problems at their root, remove blockers and put lasting corrective actions in place.

Requirements

• You have 10+ years of relevant program management experience in aerospace, manufacturing or a similar industry.
• You hold a bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical or manufacturing engineering, or a related technical field.
• You communicate clearly in writing and speaking and facilitate well, including with customers.
• You speak and write German fluently and work professionally in English, the company language.
• You have engineering program management experience developing and ramping hardware systems in a cross-functional setting.
• You think creatively and critically when executing projects.
• You have worked with and managed external contract manufacturers (CMs), suppliers and vendors to deliver program success.
• You can present complex technical information clearly to varied audiences.
• You can travel internationally, specifically to San Francisco about 2-3 times a year.
• Nice to have: experience with satellite manufacturing and AI&T.
• Nice to have: experience managing customers on satellite programs.
• Nice to have: strong problem-solving, organisational and analytical skills, with the ability to shape strategy from data.

Conditions

This is a full-time position based in the Berlin manufacturing hub, working in the office 5 days per week.

The expected starting gross salary is €86.600 to €108.300 EUR per year for Germany. Placement within the range is set objectively using gender-neutral criteria such as skills, qualifications and experience.

The role may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity.

You must be able to access all applicable U.S. and German/EU export-controlled information without additional export licensing from German, EU or U.S. authorities. The company Labs Germany GmbH holds a U.S. export license for this, and hiring depends on meeting this condition.

The company will consider applicants with arrest and conviction records, in line with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the posting may close early. Apply as soon as you can. The posted deadline is 23:45 CET on the date stated.

Benefits

• Paid time off, including vacation, public 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.
• Paid time off for volunteering.
• Offerings depend on employment type and location, subject to applicable law and company policy.