Technical Project Manager

Loft Orbital; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Loft Orbital is seeking a Technical Program Manager to bridge system architecture, product development, and program execution for Orbitworks customer ground segments and missions.

You will translate high-level requirements into structured execution plans, coordinate across Loft teams and external partners, and drive cross-functional delivery with a focus on operational excellence and automation.

Qualifications

• 5 years of Technical Program Management or Technical Project Management experience.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional technical programs.
• Strong proficiency with Jira, Confluence, or equivalent tools.
• Experience facilitating Agile software development teams.
• Ability to translate complex technical architectures into structured execution plans.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Translate high-level architecture into detailed project plans with owners and milestones.
• Coordinate onboarding of new missions and deployment activities with partners.
• Drive cross-functional execution, track deliverables, risks, and milestones.
• Align product roadmap with customer needs and SLAs.
• Champion Jira/Confluence-based reporting and process improvement.
• Serve as primary program contact to leadership and stakeholders.

Skills

Technical Program Management

Cross-functional coordination

Jira/Confluence

Agile (Scrum/Kanban)

Stakeholder management

Executive-level reporting

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/CS/Aerospace

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Role Overview

The Technical Program Manager (TPM) will play a critical role in bridging technical architecture, product development, and program execution to enable the successful deployment of Orbitworks Customer Ground Segment and customer missions. Working closely with the Customer Solutions Space Infrastructure Business Development and Loft teams, this role is responsible for translating high-level system architectures and mission requirements into structured execution plans with clearly defined deliverables, ownership, timelines, and dependencies. The TPM will drive cross‑functional coordination, manage technical programs from planning through deployment, and ensure alignment across internal teams and external partners. This role is ideal for someone who combines strong technical program management experience with the ability to operate in fast‑paced environments, influence without authority, and bring structure to complex engineering initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Program & Technical Planning
  • Translate high‑level Customer Ground Segment architecture into detailed actionable project plans with defined work packages, owners, milestones, and dependencies.
  • Break down customer mission requirements into deployable technical deliverables across Orbitworks and Loft infrastructure.
  • Develop and maintain integrated execution plans that align engineering, infrastructure, and product development activities.
• Mission Onboarding
  • Support the onboarding of new customer missions by converting SLAs and technical requirements into implementation plans.
  • Coordinate deployment activities across Customer Solutions, Space Infrastructure, and external partners.
  • Ensure successful transition of mission preparation activities to the Customer Delivery Engineering (CDE) team.
• Cross‑functional Program Execution
  • Drive execution across multiple engineering teams, tracking deliverables, dependencies, risks, and milestones.
  • Partner with engineering leads to prioritize work, remove blockers, and maintain execution momentum.
  • Coordinate internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful delivery of customer programs.
• Product & External Partner Coordination
  • Collaborate with Loft product teams to align product capabilities and release schedules with Orbitworks customer needs.
  • Support Business Development by validating technical feasibility of customer commitments and SLA requirements.
  • Ensure roadmap alignment between Orbitworks and external partners.
• Process Improvement & Delivery Excellence
  • Champion best practices in project tracking, reporting, and documentation using Jira and Confluence.
  • Improve delivery processes through automation and continuous process improvement initiatives.
  • Support roadmap planning, quarterly planning cycles, and engineering review processes.
  • Drive Agile delivery practices and improve visibility across software development activities.
• Stakeholder Management
  • Serve as the primary program contact for major initiatives.
  • Provide regular updates on progress, risks, dependencies, and mitigation plans to leadership and stakeholders.
  • Foster collaboration across geographically distributed teams and multiple time zones.

Required Qualifications

• 5 years of Technical Program Management or Technical Project Management experience, preferably within software or complex technical environments.
• Proven experience leading cross‑functional technical programs from planning through execution.
• Experience coordinating multiple engineering teams and managing technical dependencies.
• Strong proficiency with Jira, Confluence, or equivalent project management tools.
• Experience facilitating Agile software development teams (Scrum, Kanban, or similar).
• Ability to translate complex technical architectures into structured execution plans.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a focus on operational excellence and automation.
• Exceptional organizational and stakeholder management abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive‑level reporting.
• Strong influencing skills without relying on formal authority.
• Comfortable working in fast‑paced, evolving environments.
• Willingness to travel quarterly for cross‑office collaboration.

Nice to Have

• Experience within the aerospace or space industry.
• Background in technical program management supporting both software and hardware development.
• Experience with high‑growth technology startups.
• Previous collaboration with international teams across multiple time zones.
• Product Management experience or close collaboration with Product organizations.
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, mission operations, or ground segment technologies.
• Experience with Python or automation scripting to improve engineering workflows.
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles and technical integration programs.
• Demonstrated ability to build scalable processes in rapidly growing organizations.
• Continuous learning mindset with a track record of quickly acquiring new technical knowledge.
• Preferred background: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline (or equivalent practical experience).
• Aerospace or satellite industry experience is highly desirable but not essential.
• Strong Technical Program Management or Software Project Management background preferred over general project management experience.
• Experience working across engineering, product, and customer‑facing organizations in complex technical environments.