Exercise Support Specialist - Hybrid

KBR, Inc.; Köln; Hybrid; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Germany-wide benefits

Hybrid working arrangements

Fitness club memberships

Leave & career development support

Job summary

KBR GmbH invites applications for an Exercise Support Specialist to join the Cologne-based team hybrid-structured around ESA astronaut health and fitness programs. You will oversee exercise sessions, countermeasures, and rehabilitation for space missions, coordinating with ESA partners and internal staff.

The role requires experience in exercise testing, data handling, and project management, with a focus on confidentiality and cross-team collaboration in a high-stakes environment.

Qualifications

• Excellent project management, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Experience developing and implementing exercise and fitness tests.
• Ability to handle private and confidential data with discretion.
• Experience coaching gym sessions and using fitness tracking tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide exercise sessions and in-flight countermeasures for ESA astronauts.
• Plan, document, and report on exercise sessions in the Astronaut Medical Database.
• Perform fitness assessments and develop training plans.
• Coordinate with ESA teams and international partners.
• Support data analysis and reporting improvements.
• Lead internal workshops and knowledge transfer.

Skills

Project management

Gym coaching

Athletic training

Data analysis

Fitness testing

Confidential data handling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Exercise Support Specialist - Hybrid

At KBR, we deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 85 countries and operations in over 28 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results.

Trinzic is the future independent company to be created through the planned spin-off of KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business, expected in January 2027. Our people work at the frontier of what is possible, delivering solutions in challenging environments and advancing some of the world's highest-priority national security and space missions. Backed by decades of mission success, deep expertise, and trusted partnerships, Trinzic will launch as a global organization with more than 18,000 employees supporting customers around the world. Join us at a defining moment and help shape the future of a company built to tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful impact. Candidates who join KBR's Mission Technology Solutions business before the spin-off will transition to Trinzic when the separation is complete and will not need to reapply for employment.

About Us

KBR GmbH was established in October 2000 to provide human spaceflight medical support services to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space Medicine Team (SMT) at the European Astronaut Center (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. KBR GmbH specializes in the provision of biomedical engineering, space medicine projects including Crew Health and Performance (CHP) technology evaluation, health care administration, psychology, nutrition, medical informatics and technology, fitness and rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and medical education. By developing expertise in these core areas whilst supporting capacity building and broader strategy/risk management, KBR GmbH has expanded to provide support services to a range of customers in aerospace, government and space life science/medical research. Thus, KBR GmbH’s employees contribute to a wide range of projects including astronaut selection and training, ongoing medical operations to the International Space Station and other Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions, whilst supporting the ESA SMT’s endeavors in preparation for space exploration beyond LEO.

Purpose of the Job

The purpose of this Fixed-term position until Dec 2028 is to directly support the Exercise Team Lead of KBR GmbH in achieving and executing the obligations and goals of the business in support of KBR GmbH and its customers. This position is responsible for a variety of exercise support assignments that require discretion and independent judgment. The incumbent needs to perform multiple tasks simultaneously as directed by the Exercise Team Lead. This position performs exercise support services for the European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts via the KBR GmbH contract to the ESA Space Medicine Team. It also handles details of a confidential nature, requires a broad knowledge of human physiology and exercise, requires experience in providing coaching and implementing of fitness testing and requires project management skills.

The First Objective Is To Support The Implementation Of The ESA Astronaut Health And Fitness Assessments, Exercise Sessions, In-flight Countermeasures, And Rehabilitation Programs To Ensure Astronaut Health. The Following Responsibilities Are Included In This Task:

• Provide exercise sessions, in-flight exercise countermeasure and rehabilitation support (including data handling, management, analysis and feedback) to ESA human space flight operations.
• Provision of services for exercise sessions for both mission assigned and unassigned astronauts.
  • Organization and coaching of exercise sessions
  • Exercise session planning, documentation (in our Astronaut Medical Database) and reporting
  • Provision of individual feedback, training plans and prescriptions
  • Gym supervision
• Perform astronaut fitness assessments (including preparation, implementation, data handling and analysis, and feedback reports).
• Support efficient utilization of the Astronaut Medical Database of the Space Medicine Team
• Aid the optimization of processes and reporting.
• Aid the passage of exercise assessment knowledge and proficiency to other internal staff by means of internal workshops and presentations.
• Support the exchange of exercise/fitness related information between ESA teams and International Partners.
• Support multilateral activities such as: International Partner meetings, Countermeasure Working Group (CMWG).

The Second Objective Is To Support The Space Medicine Project Unit And The Implementation Of ESA´s European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) ISS Technology Demonstration Activities. The Following Responsibilities Are Included In This Role:

• Function as a project manager to coordinate and implement E4D Exercise Familiarization sessions and Baseline Data Collections (BDCs) including dry-runs.
• Act as interface to other payloads for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) input into exercising on E4D.
• Coaching exercises supported by E4D in the gym and on E4D
• Act as an interface to NASA Exercise Specialists (ASCRs) for prescription development.
• Implement data analysis of resulting exercise files
• Exercise scientist support for the development of the new markerless Motion Capture System verification.

Required Education / Experience

The Exercise Support Specialist position requires excellent project management, organizational and interpersonal skills, work well in a team environment, and be able to effectively work autonomously, with great latitude for independent judgment and initiative. The successful candidate will have the appropriate background in organizing, developing, and implementing effective exercise & fitness tests, analyzing exercise data and the proper handling of private & confidential exercise data. Experience in project management, gym session coaching, athletic training, use of exercise equipment and fitness tracking tools and organizing records are all essential.

Background and Experience

The incumbent can use a personal computer/laptop and related software (e.g. Word, Excel, internet browsers, Microsoft TEAMS and PowerPoint) in performing assigned tasks and producing/editing documentation and giving presentations. This position requires fluency in written and oral English (the primary working language of ESA). This position requires international and domestic travel. At a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology, Health Sciences in Sports, Sports Science/Performance/Coaching, Athletic Training or equivalent is required. This position will report to the Exercise Team Lead of KBR GmbH.

The expected workload is a full-time equivalent (e.g., 40 hours per week) in a flexible/adjustable schedule, Monday through Friday. The prime work location will be in Cologne (at the European Astronaut Centre/EAC), Germany. On some occasions, work may be required on weekends, holidays, or outside of normal working hours (9-17h).

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Must be detail oriented, possess good organizational and English communication skills, be positive and proactive, able to work with others, have experience and knowledge with basic computer software, hardware, and program applications
• Know and adhere to company policies, procedures, work rules and demonstrate a strong work ethic
• Maintain regular and acceptable attendance level as determined by the company
• Demonstrate flexibility and positive attitude towards teamwork
• Compile, analyze and prepare data and metric charts for reports and presentations
• Format, type and edit a variety of complex or technical material documents including: correspondence, memos, reports and confidential material; draft correspondences for approval
• Resolve problems requiring knowledge of department policies and procedures
• Carry out other projects and assignments as requested
• Maintain and update department files, records and publications; maintain confidential files and materials
• Constant monitoring of information to keep management advised of any changes
• Support Progress Reports writing
• Prepare and give presentations
• Maintains action list for Managers
• Able to safely lift 20 Kilograms

Preferred Education / Experience

A strong emphasis is placed upon previous experience in similar or related positions. A good understanding of healthcare, especially aerospace medicine, space medicine operations, space and life science experiments, and ESA’s organization are all considered positive assets. Fluency in a second language of a European ESA member state is considered an asset.

KBR GmbH BENEFITS

KBR GmbH offers a wide range of benefits for their employees including; Germany-wide public transportation support, sports and fitness club memberships, workers' compensation coverage, generous leave paid time off, holidays, long service recognition (additional leave based on years of service), hybrid working arrangements overtime recognition through flexitime, parental leave, education assistance, employee savings plan opportunities and the list goes on and on! We also support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.