Mission Manager

PLD Space

Elche

Hybrid

EUR 70,000 - 100,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Physiotherapy

Health insurance discount

Family health insurance

Snacks and fruit

Paid vacation + holidays

Flexible schedule

Professional development

Childcare contributions

Restaurant tickets

Transport contributions

Training support

Job summary

PLD Space, based in Elche, Spain, seeks a Senior Mission Manager to convert signed LSAs into successful spaceflight campaigns. You will coordinate customer requirements, schedules and deliverables, and serve as the primary interface for customer reviews.

You will collaborate with operations, production and commercial teams to ensure vehicle readiness, prepare launch license content, and maintain the master program schedule. Fluency in French is required; travel to launch campaigns is expected.

Qualifications

Master's degree in aerospace, electrical, mechanical, or systems engineering (or equivalent).
Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams in technical and programmatic areas.
Experience interfacing with Customers or third parties and related soft skills.
Experience managing technical requirements, V&V cycles, AIT and plan definition.
Experience in environmental testing (TVAC, vibration, EMC) and validation for Satellites.
Willingness to travel to Spaceport during launch campaigns and customer visits.
Fluency in French.

Responsibilities

Manage customer requirements, deliverables, schedule, and changes.
Understand all aspects of launch service contracts and ensure proper execution.
Coordinate with launch operations to submit range docs and payload inputs; ensure smooth customer launch site processing.
Work with production to understand vehicle readiness.
Generate content for launch license applications (CNES).
Manage the master schedule and report modifications to the customer.
Coordinate and chair customer reviews to ensure on-time deliverables.
Lead payload-to-launch vehicle integration meetings and own the Interface Control Document.
Help technical staff plan tasks to maintain schedule.
Serve as the primary PLD Space interface in customer-led mission reviews.
Prepare and execute the mission.
Support documentation for launch service (Interface Control Document, SOW, Payload User’s Guide).
sporadic support for launch services commercialization through customer visits.

Skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Customer interfacing

Technical requirements management

V&V cycles

AIT planning

Travel availability

French fluency

Education

Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering or equivalent

Job description

About PLD Space

PLD Space is an international company on a mission to transport satellites into space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Headquartered in Elche (Spain) and founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space has established itself as a global benchmark in the small satellite launch sector. Its family of MIURA launchers and LINCE crewed capsule position the company as a leader in European technological sovereignty for space transportation, covering the full spectrum of space missions.

PLD Space operates over 188,000 m² of facilities in Elche, Teruel (Spain), Kourou (French Guiana), and Duqm (Oman), enabling the company to provide comprehensive satellite and payload launch services into space.

Teamwork, courage, determination and ambition enable PLD Space to guarantee an autonomous, independent satellite space access capability, based on reliability at a globally competitive price. The company is able to offer best‑in‑class launch services to commercial satellite operators, institutions, space agencies and national and international governmental entities

Mission

This is a key role for the success of PLD Space, being in charge of converting a signed LSA into a successful mission, delivering what we promised to the customer, generating confidence and repeat business.

Responsibilities

Manage customer requirements, deliverables, schedule, and changes
Understand all aspects of one’s assigned launch service contract and ensure proper execution thereof
Work with launch operations group to get all range and range‑related documentation submitted with payload inputs, and insure that customer launch site processing runs smoothly
Work with production group to understand vehicle readiness
Generate all content for launch license applications with the relevant authorities (CNES)
Generate and manage the project’s master schedule and regularly report modifications to customer
Coordinate and chair all customer reviews and ensure that contract deliverables are delivered on time and per the customer’s expectations
Run all payload-to-launch vehicle integration meetings and generate and own the Interface Control Document
Help technical staff understand mission effort so that they can plan their tasks appropriately to maintain schedule
Serve as the primary interface for PLD Space in customer‑led mission reviews
Responsible for preparation and execution of the mission.
Support with the definition of technical and programmatic documentation associated with the launch service (Interface Control Document, Statement of Work and Payload User’s Guide).
Sporadic support to launch services commercialization efforts through customer and fair visits.

Necessary Requirements

Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering or equivalent.
Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams in technical and programmatic areas.
Experience in interfacing with Customer(s) or third parties, and associated soft skills
Experience managing technical requirements, V&V cycles, AIT and plan definition.
Experience in environmental testing, thermal vacuum, vibration, electromagnetic compatibility, as well as test methods and validation applicable to Satellites.
Availability to travel to Spaceport during launch campaigns, customer visits to PLD’s Teruel testing facilities. Sporadic industry fairs and customer visits.
Fluency in French.

Desired Requirements

Certification on Project Management (PMP or similar)
Understanding of launch vehicle and satellite key subsystems and their associated performance parameters.
Hard work and availability.
Leadership.
Interpersonal skills.
Excellent communication skills, including fluency in Spanish and English.
Problem-solving oriented and decision making oriented.
Enthusiast.
Risk anticipation and mitigation oriented.
Familiarity with hardware test program requirements captured in industry standards including ESA ECSS Standards, NASA GSFC-STD-7000, NASA-STD-7001 and NASA-STD-7002.
Experience with mission definition and requirements.
Experience working with Government, Space Agencies, Range Authorities, Payload Aggregators/Brokers or Satellite Manufacturers.

Benefits

Health & Wellness

Physiotherapy within our facilities
50% discount on your health insurance
You can sign-up your family members with health insurance at a competitive price.
Healthy snacks and lots of fruit

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