Chief of Staff (m/f/d)

Isar Aerospace SE; Vaterstetten; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee share program

30 days vacation

Company pension plan

Subsidised lunch

Public transport ticket

Rental clothing

Sports club membership

Learning allowance

Childcare allowance

Job summary

Isar Aerospace SE is seeking a Chief of Staff to the CTO to deputise in core programme and product forums and drive the teams back on track when bottlenecks appear.

This engineering‑first role requires delivering hardware programmes with risk, communicating clearly at the executive level, and managing internal decisions to align with strategic goals in a fast growing space company.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering or a comparable technical discipline.
• Have delivered or recovered hardware programmes with real technical, cost and schedule risk.
• Understand how complex technical programmes fail and identify constraints early.
• Follow design reviews, production-readiness arguments and AIT non-conformance without deepest-expert pretence.
• Work through influence rather than line authority; trusted by VPs and Programm leads.
• Communicate clearly and directly at executive level, in writing and in the room.
• Speak English fluently; German is a strong plus for internal contexts.

Responsibilities

• Deputise for the CTO in product and programme meetings, reviews and decision forums, and carry the outcome back with a clear view of decisions and implications.
• Build deep understanding of how each programme runs — dependencies, critical paths, interfaces between engineering, production, quality and AIT.
• Identify bottlenecks early and drive resolution with responsible teams.
• Take ownership of programmes that have drifted and define the corrective path.
• Provide the CTO with a grounded view of programme health and hidden risks in plans.
• Follow up on decisions and commitments made in the CTO’s name and close or escalate them.
• Spend time in labs, on the shop floor and in AIT to form your own judgement.

Skills

Executive communication

Aerospace programmes

Influence without authority

Programme management

German language helpful

English fluency

Education

Degree in engineering or a comparable technical discipline

Job description

Mission Brief

Support our CTO and help us keep Europe’s launch capability on track! As Chief of Staff to the CTO, you will act as the CTO’s deputy in the internal programme and product forums, sitting in the rooms where technical decisions are made on their behalf. You will understand how our programmes actually run, spot bottlenecks before they materialise, and drive the teams that hit them back onto a credible path.

This is an engineering role first. You are not a representative of the CTO externally — you are the person who covers for them internally when they cannot be in the room, and who makes things happen in their place.

Your role in our space mission

• Deputise for the CTO in product and programme meetings, reviews and decision forums, and carry the outcome back with a clear view of what was decided and what it means
• Build a deep, current understanding of how each programme runs — dependencies, critical paths, interfaces between engineering, production, quality and AIT — rather than relying on status reporting
• Identify bottlenecks early, before they turn into schedule or cost problems, and drive their resolution with the responsible teams
• Take ownership of programmes that have drifted, define the corrective path and get them back on track
• Provide the CTO with a technically grounded, unfiltered view of programme health and the risks that are not yet visible in the plans
• Follow up on decisions and commitments made in the CTO’s name, and close them out or escape them early
• Spend real time in the labs, on the shop floor and in AIT to form your own judgement

Qualification Checklist

• Degree in engineering or a comparable technical discipline, with several years of hands‑on engineering or programme experience in aerospace, space, defence or another complex hardware environment
• Have delivered or recovered hardware programmes with real technical, cost and schedule risk — ideally through development, industrialisation or ramp‑up
• Understand how complex technical programmes actually fail, and can find the constraint before it becomes critical
• Technically credible enough to follow a design review, a production‑readiness argument and an AIT non‑conformance, without pretending to be the deepest expert in the room
• Work through influence rather than line authority, and are trusted by VPs, Chief Engineer and Programm leads alike
• Communicate clearly and directly at executive level, in writing and in the room
• Speak English fluently; German is a strong plus for internal and works‑council contexts

Benefits

• Employee Participation Program: Share in our success through our virtual company share program
• 30 days of vacation: Enjoy the days off to relax and recharge
• Company pension plan: Secure your future with our company pension plan, featuring a 20% employer contribution after the probation period
• Subsidised lunch: Stay energised with delicious, subsidised lunches every day
• Public transport ticket: Commute with ease using a fully financed Deutschlandticket
• Rental clothing with laundry service: Enjoy hassle‑free workwear with our convenient rental clothing and laundry service
• Sport Clubs membership: Stay fit with our sponsored sports club memberships (EGYM Wellpass)
• Individual learning allowance: Grow your skills with an individual learning budget granted after the probation period
• Childcare allowance: Receive a childcare allowance for your non‑school-age children
• And Much More! Discover additional perks and benefits when you join our team.

Who we are

We are Isar Aerospace and we are at the front‑of-new-space building a modern space business to enable faster, better and cheaper access to space.

Our mission is to help democratise space and use it for good in order to improve life on Earth now and for the future generations.

We are a fast‑growing company aiming to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly launch solutions for small and medium‑sized satellites and constellations into Low Earth Orbit. The company is privately funded by world‑leading technology investors with strong commitment and support and our team is made of driven and talented people with a real passion for space innovation.

We’re making rockets in a way that hasn’t been done before disrupting a traditional industry. If you are up for the challenge, want to work on cutting‑edge projects and be part of a team changing the world for better, come, join us and launch your career!

Want to find out more about us?

Visit www.isaraerospace.com

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Disclaimer

Isar Aerospace SE is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to fairness and inclusivity. We do not prioritize any specific religion, gender, nationality, or background. Due to security clearance requirements, affiliations with countries listed under § 13 para. 1 no. 17 SÜG may affect the application process. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.