Product Manager (all genders) for Space Hardware

Blackwave; Garching bei München; Vor Ort; EUR 70.000 - 95.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Blackwave is seeking a Product leader in Munich area to own market-fit for our COPV portfolio and translate customer needs into a clear product strategy. You will drive a roadmap with strategic milestones, collaborate with Strategy and Engineering, and pitch concepts to the Product Committee.

The role requires 3–5+ years in product roles, strong communication, and fluency in English. German is a plus, and experience in space or COPVs is a plus. Join a company shaping aerospace hardware.

Qualifikationen

• Master’s degree in Industrial/Mechanical/Electrical/Aerospace Engineering, Business Administration, or related field.
• 3–5+ years of experience, ideally as Product Manager, Product Owner, Product Designer, or Program/Project Manager.
• Structured, strategic thinking with strong analytical rigor and prioritization under ambiguity.
• Strong communication skills and customer empathy for external-facing roles.
• Technical fluency to engage with engineers without owning the design.
• Daily user of AI tools with interest in new workflows.
• Comfortable with breadth across topics rather than depth in one area.
• Fluent in English; German is a plus for day-to-day collaboration.
• Nice-to-have: space industry or COPVs experience.
• Nice-to-have: startup or VC background.

Aufgaben

• Own the market-fit for our portfolio and ensure the right product is built for the right reasons.
• Maintain an up-to-date picture of customer needs, applications, and competitor landscape in your segment.
• Translate needs into clear product requirements and a sequenced roadmap with gate milestones.
• Turn ideas into structured concepts, run feasibility checks, and pitch to Product Committee.
• Write and own the PRD, define gate exit criteria, and adjust specs when requirements change.
• Identify new opportunities and viable market segments as technologies mature.
• Review field insights monthly with the Product Owner and feed learnings into the next generation.

Kenntnisse

Strategic thinking

Analytical rigor

Strong communication

AI tools usage

Technical fluency

English proficiency

Decision making under ambiguity

Customer empathy

Ausbildung

Master's degree

Jobbeschreibung

Why

To ensure we build products the market truly needs. A great product that misses the customer is a failure, and you make sure that never happens.

Responsibilities

You own the market‑fit for our portfolio (e.g., launch vehicles or satellites) and are responsible for ensuring the right product gets built for the right reasons.

• The segment’s customer needs, applications, and competitive landscape are understood before they become a surprise.
• Every product idea is tested for feasibility and market‑fit before a single resource is committed.
• Qualified products keep performing in the field – and if they don’t, you already have the next move ready.

Your tasks in detail and by priority include:

• Maintain a current, first‑hand picture of customer needs, applications, and the competitive landscape in your segment, engaging directly with the market via conversations, Sales input, or your own research.
• Translate customer needs into clear product requirements and a sequenced roadmap with gate milestones, stress‑testing the roadmap jointly with Strategy and Engineering.
• Turn every product idea – from R&D, market opportunity, or customer request – into a structured concept brief, run feasibility checks with engineering, and pitch it to the Product Committee.
• Write and own the PRD, define functional gate exit criteria, and decide on spec changes when requirements change, stepping in fast when a gate is missed.
• Identify new product opportunities or addressable market segments that become viable as new technologies mature, deciding which ones are worth pursuing.
• Review field‑insight reports monthly with the Product Owner and feed learnings into the next product generation.
• Bring genuine curiosity and energy to your segment, enjoying trade shows, customer dialogue, and new product ideas as much as the depth of a well‑built roadmap.

Profile

• Master’s degree in Industrial / Mechanical / Electrical / Aerospace Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. Technical background with commercial experience and vice versa.
• 3–5+ years of experience, ideally as a Product Manager, Product Owner, Product Designer, or Program/Project Manager.
• Structured, strategic thinking with strong analytical rigor – able to prioritize under ambiguity and make decisions without complete information.
• Strong communication skills and customer empathy – comfortable as the external face of your segment.
• Technical fluency – able to meet engineers at eye level without owning the design yourself.
• Daily user of AI tools, with a genuine interest in experimenting with new workflows.
• Comfortable with breadth across many topics rather than depth in one.
• Fluent in English; German is a plus for day‑to‑day collaboration but not a must‑have.
• Nice‑to‑have: experience in the space industry or with COPVs.
• Nice‑to‑have: start‑up or VC background.

What We Offer

• High level of autonomy & real impact: you own a critical seam in the business between what we sell and what we build.
• Startup mindset meets aerospace innovation: flat hierarchies, fast decisions, and space for your ideas.
• Choose your own benefit: Germany ticket, Egym Wellpass, or a tax‑free Give Card.
• Healthy & social lunch culture: fresh meals during shared lunch breaks.
• Stunning views: rooftop terrace with views of the Alps in Taufkirchen, or indoor garden in Garching‑Hochbrück.
• Growth opportunities: work on technically demanding projects with real stakes.
• We live our team culture: from tech talks to team events and after‑work gatherings – we celebrate success together.

About Us

Blackwave designs, manufactures and ships flight‑qualified, commercial off‑the‑shelf composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) for launch vehicles and satellites. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, the company delivers COPVs from a standardized portfolio with flight heritage. Our approach reduces lead time from months to days while ensuring every tank is qualified and flight‑ready. Blackwave’s mission is to end COPV failure in spaceflight. The company employs more than 150 people across manufacturing facilities in Germany and Texas.

More information at Blackwave.com and the procurement platform COPV.com.