Systems Engineer - AIT & GSE

Stealthrocketrystartup; Deutschland; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top compensation

Equity

Relocation support

Meals provided

Housing access

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Stealthrocketrystartup in Germany seeks a Systems Engineer to define, integrate, and verify AIT activities and GSE for our orbital rocket programme.

You will translate vehicle and subsystem needs into clear requirements for test setups, tooling, interfaces, facilities, and operational procedures, working closely with avionics, software, structures, propulsion, GNC, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure robust integration.

Qualifications

• Degree in systems engineering or related discipline; equivalent practical experience may be relevant.
• Experience in systems engineering, AIT, integration, test engineering, GSE, or another complex hardware-development environment.
• Experience defining requirements, managing interfaces, and producing clear technical documentation.
• Understanding how flight hardware, ground equipment, tooling, facilities, software, and test operations interact.
• Structured and practical approach to problem-solving with the ability to work from incomplete information.
• Strong communication skills across multidisciplinary engineering and operations teams.
• Launch vehicles, propulsion systems, or defense hardware experience desirable.
• Model-based systems engineering, SysML, or interface-control documentation desirable.

Responsibilities

• Capture, define, and manage AIT and GSE requirements derived from vehicle, subsystem, manufacturing, and test needs.
• Define and maintain key interfaces between flight hardware, GSE, tooling, test facilities, avionics, software, propulsion, and operations.
• Develop system architectures, interface definitions, requirements specifications, verification matrices, and other supporting systems documentation.
• Identify requirements for tooling, fixtures, handling equipment, electrical and data connections, instrumentation, facilities, and test infrastructure.
• Support vehicle integration, test planning, readiness reviews, procedure development, and the verification of AIT and GSE systems.
• Track system-level issues, interface actions, assumptions, and dependencies through to resolution in collaboration with the relevant technical teams.

Skills

Systems engineering

AIT engineering

GSE

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Documentation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering

Tools

CAD

PLM

Python

MATLAB

Test automation

Job description

We are looking for a Systems Engineer to support the definition, integration, and verification of Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) activities and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) for our orbital rocket programme.

You will translate vehicle and subsystem needs into clear requirements for test setups, tooling, interfaces, facilities, and operational procedures. Working closely with the Lead Systems Engineer and teams across avionics, software, structures, propulsion, GNC, manufacturing, and test, you will help ensure that flight hardware and the systems used to assemble and test it work together effectively.

This is a hands‑on systems role for someone who enjoys working across disciplines and close to real hardware. Your work will contribute directly to efficient vehicle integration, robust test campaigns, and successful launch operations.

About usWe’re a Germany-based rocketry startup currently in stealth mode, scaling up rapidly to meet the demand for high-performance, reliable, and scalable solid propulsion technologies for space and defense applications.

We are already launching suborbital and ballistic rockets on a regular basis, generating significant revenue and applying our knowledge toward the development of an orbital rocket.

We are working hard to build something truly spectacular.

To thrive here you will need to be comfortable working at pace, with the autonomy to make decisions and execute on them quickly. If you’re excited by hard technical challenges and want a role where you will make a real difference each day to the future of the company, we may be the place for you.

At our company, job titles and career progression are earned, not determined by years of experience alone. They reflect the responsibility you take on and the dedication you bring to each project. If you’re ready to rise to the challenge, we’d love to hear from you.

Key responsibilities

• Capture, define, and manage AIT and GSE requirements derived from vehicle, subsystem, manufacturing, and test needs.
• Define and maintain key interfaces between flight hardware, GSE, tooling, test facilities, avionics, software, propulsion, and operations.
• Develop system architectures, interface definitions, requirements specifications, verification matrices, and other supporting systems documentation.
• Identify requirements for tooling, fixtures, handling equipment, electrical and data connections, instrumentation, facilities, and test infrastructure.
• Support vehicle integration, test planning, readiness reviews, procedure development, and the verification of AIT and GSE systems.
• Track system-level issues, interface actions, assumptions, and dependencies through to resolution in collaboration with the relevant technical teams.

What we’re looking for

• A degree in systems engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent practical experience may also be relevant.
• Experience in systems engineering, AIT, integration, test engineering, GSE, or another complex hardware-development environment.
• Experience defining requirements, managing interfaces, and producing clear technical documentation.
• An understanding of how flight hardware, ground equipment, tooling, facilities, software, and test operations interact.
• A structured and practical approach to problem-solving, with the ability to work from incomplete information and drive actions forward.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering and operations teams.

Desirable experience

• Launch vehicles, spacecraft, propulsion systems, defence systems, missiles, or other complex aerospace hardware.
• Designing or specifying GSE, test stands, fixtures, handling equipment, instrumentation, or data-acquisition systems.
• Electrical, mechanical, fluid, thermal, structural, or data-interface definition for integrated hardware systems.
• AIT campaigns, vehicle integration, launch operations, static-fire testing, or formal test-readiness processes.
• Model-based systems engineering, SysML, requirements-management tools, or interface-control documentation.
• CAD, PLM, Python, MATLAB, test automation, or other tools used to define, analyse, or verify integrated systems.

Benefits and important information

• We offer top-decile compensation packages, bonuses, and meaningful equity.
• Every employee is awarded stock options in the company, so you will directly benefit from your own hard work and success.
• Comprehensive relocation support including flights, shipping, and visas.
• Lunch, dinner, and drinks provided every day.
• Free access to shared company housing.
• We are committed to building an equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, has equal access to opportunity, and can thrive. We welcome different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences-and believe our differences make us stronger.
• Please note, we are a fast-paced, hyper-scaling startup. You will need to be comfortable working extended hours with high levels of autonomy, ownership, and flexibility, with contracts structured around a 48-hour working week.

Please submit applications in English.