Interim Project Manager Space Instrumentation

Go Fractional; Sassenheim; Hybrid; EUR 18,000,000 - 22,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working options

Personal development budget

Company bicycle and fitness plans

27 days annual leave

International working environment

Job summary

Cosine in Sassenheim, The Netherlands, seeks an experienced Project Manager to lead end-to-end space instrument development projects within our Remote Sensing business. You will align engineering, science and manufacturing teams to deliver instruments from concept to launch, while managing scope, schedule, budget and quality in collaboration with customers and partners.

You bring a technical background in engineering or physics, strong stakeholder management, and excellent English communication;

Qualifications

• Experience managing complex technical development projects in space, aerospace, defence, or high-tech industries.
• Technical or scientific background in engineering, physics, aerospace, or systems engineering.
• Track record meeting performance, planning, cost, and quality requirements.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies and engineering lifecycles.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-level communication.
• Structured, proactive, calm, and decisive in dynamic environments.
• Experience with institutional or governmental customers is a plus.
• Excellent English; Dutch is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end space instrument development projects from kickoff to delivery.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, resources, and quality throughout lifecycle.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists, and manufacturing specialists.
• Act as primary contact for customers, partners, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders.
• Monitor performance and mitigate risks.
• Ensure compliance with requirements, obligations, and standards.
• Drive decisions and align technical, commercial, and operational objectives.
• Support proposals and business development with PM input.

Skills

Space project management

Engineering background

Stakeholder management

Leadership in cross-functional teams

English communication

Dutch language

Education

Engineering or related discipline degree

Job description

Your (space) mission

As Project Manager at cosine, you turn ambitious space instrumentation programs into successful reality.

Working within our Remote Sensing business, you lead multidisciplinary development projects that bring advanced space borne optical instruments from concept to launch. These instruments play a key role in planetary science, environmental protection, security and defence, empowering scientists and organisations worldwide to deepen their understanding of Earth and the universe beyond.

You create structure in a highly innovative environment, balancing technical excellence with planning, budget, quality, and stakeholder expectations. The projects you manage typically have budgets of up to €20 million and directly contribute to missions with impact far beyond Earth.

Tasks & responsibilities

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Lead end-to-end execution of space instrument development projects, from project kick-off to final delivery
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, resources, and quality throughout the project lifecycle
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams consisting of engineers, scientists, systems engineers, and manufacturing specialists
• Act as the primary point of contact for customers, partners, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders, ensuring alignment with the Director of Remote Sensing and agreed strategies
• Monitor project performance and proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks
• Ensure compliance with customer requirements, contractual obligations, and applicable industry standards
• Drive decision-making processes and maintain alignment between technical, commercial, and operational objectives
• Support proposal and business development activities by contributing project management expertise where required

Your profile

We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications:

• Several years of experience managing complex technical development projects in the space, aerospace, defence, or other high-tech industries
• A technical or scientific background, preferably in engineering, physics, aerospace, systems engineering, or a related discipline
• Demonstrated experience managing projects with demanding requirements regarding performance, planning, cost, and quality
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies and engineering development lifecycles
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively at different organisational levels
• A structured and proactive approach, combined with the ability to remain calm and decisive in a dynamic environment
• A strong sense of ownership and accountability for project outcomes
• Experience working with institutional, governmental, or international customers is considered an advantage
• Excellent English communication skills; Dutch is a plus

What we offer

At cosine, we highly value our employees, and we will support your professional and personal development. We also provide our employees with:

• A unique, international working environment at the intersection of physics and engineering
• The opportunity to deliver end-to-end solutions in autonomous project teams, in close collaboration with customers
• A competitive salary
• 27 days of annual leave (based on full-time employment)
• Hybrid working options, including the possibility to work partially from home
• Company bicycle and fitness plans
• A personal development budget
• Initial one-year contract, with the aim of long-term collaboration

Location: Sassenheim, The Netherlands
Employment Type: Full or part-time, Fixed-term