Project Manager Space Instrumentation

cosine; Sassenheim; Hybrid; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working options

27 days annual leave

Company bicycle and fitness plans

Job summary

cosine in the Netherlands is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead end-to-end space instrument development programs within the Remote Sensing team. You translate ambitious concepts into flight-ready hardware, coordinating engineers, scientists, and suppliers while managing scope, schedule, budget, and quality in line with customer requirements.

The role offers hybrid work, a competitive salary, 27 days leave, a personal development budget, and an initial one-year contract with potential

Qualifications

• Several years of experience managing complex technical development projects in space, aerospace, defence, or high-tech industries.
• Technical or scientific background in engineering, physics, aerospace, systems engineering, or 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 across organisational levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end execution of space instrument development projects from kickoff to final delivery.
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, resources, and quality throughout the lifecycle.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams of engineers, scientists, and manufacturing specialists.
• Serve as primary contact for customers, partners, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders.
• Monitor performance, identify risks, and mitigate them proactively.
• Ensure compliance with customer requirements, contractual obligations, and industry standards.
• Drive decision-making and align technical, commercial, and operational goals.
• Support proposals and business development with project management expertise.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Communication

Risk management

Education

Engineering or Physics background

Job description

Your (space) mission

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

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

• 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

• 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

• 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

About Cosine

Founded in 1998, cosine is a world-leading developer of space instrumentation and measurement systems, making the invisible measurable and the complex actionable.

Its expertise spans High-Energy Optics, including optics developed for ESA's future NewAthena X-ray observatory, as well as remote sensing solutions for Earth Observation and planetary science.

With over 25 years of experience and advanced cleanroom and assembly facilities across the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, cosine brings deep scientific and engineering expertise to some of the most demanding missions in space and on Earth.

What makes cosine a unique place to work is that your work goes end-to-end: from concept and design to building, testing, and delivering hardware that actually flies in space. You work in small, highly skilled teams where you have real ownership and impact, alongside experts in optics, physics, nanofabrication, and systems engineering.

cosine is committed to providing an inclusive and equal opportunities work environment where everyone can thrive. As a proud member of the Women in Aerospace community, we recognise the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in the workplace.