Product Team Lead (Actuators)

CubeSpace; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

CubeSpace is seeking a Product Team Lead to drive the Actuators portfolio, including Reaction Wheels and Torquer Rods, through the full engineering lifecycle.

The role emphasizes leadership of Mechanical, Electronic, Software, ADCS, and Environmental Verification teams within a structured engineering environment, ensuring on-time delivery and effective collaboration across functions.

Qualifications

• BEng or BTech in Mechanical, Electronic, Systems, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• Postgraduate qualifications in Engineering, Engineering Management, or Project Management (PMP or equivalent) advantageous.
• 7–12 years of engineering or engineering delivery experience.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in delivery leadership or project management in a structured engineering environment.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams through formal design review processes.
• Exposure to hardware product development in space/defence/high-reliability industries.
• Strong project management and execution abilities.
• Systems engineering coordination and configuration management experience.
• Knowledge of engineering review processes (PDR, CDR, QR).
• Experience with project planning and ERP systems.
• Familiarity with Teamcenter or similar configuration tools.
• Understanding of ADCS actuator technologies and engineering development processes.

Responsibilities

• Own the delivery of the Actuators product portfolio, ensuring on-time delivery and adherence to plan.
• Develop, maintain, and defend project schedules and task plans.
• Monitor progress, identify risks and blockers, and manage delivery challenges.
• Escalate schedule risks and delivery concerns where necessary.
• Lead products through engineering review gates (PDR, CDR, QR) and ensure EIDPs are ready at each milestone.
• Coordinate product-level systems engineering activities, including requirements management and interface definitions.
• Work with Product Owners and Principal Engineers to align roadmaps with delivery commitments.
• Manage cross-functional teams, allocate tasks, and plan capacity; support development discussions.

Job description

CubeSpace is looking for a driven and experienced Product Team Lead to lead the delivery of our Actuators product portfolio, including Reaction Wheels, Torquer Rods and other components, and future actuator technologies. This role is responsible for driving products through the full engineering lifecycle, ensuring successful execution, schedule adherence, and cross‑functional coordination within a product‑led matrix environment.

As the execution authority for the Actuators team, you will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team spanning Mechanical, Electronic, Software, ADCS, Environmental Verification, and Industrialisation disciplines. This is a highly collaborative and project‑management‑focused leadership role, ideal for someone who thrives in structured engineering environments and enjoys enabling high‑performing technical teams.

Key Responsibilities:

Delivery & Execution

• Own the delivery of the Actuators product portfolio, ensuring products are delivered on time and according to plan.
• Develop, maintain, and defend project schedules and task plans.
• Monitor progress, identify risks and blockers, and proactively manage delivery challenges.
• Escalate schedule risks and delivery concerns where necessary.

Engineering Lifecycle Management

• Lead products through formal engineering review gates, including PDR, CDR, and QR processes.
• Coordinate review deliverables and ensure End‑Item Data Packs (EIDPs) are completed and available at each review milestone.
• Manage delivery recovery plans where reviews are not successfully passed.
• Coordinate product‑level systems engineering activities, including requirements management, interface definitions, and configuration control.
• Work closely with Product Owners and Principal Engineers to align technical roadmaps with delivery commitments.
• Operate within established Systems Engineering and configuration management frameworks.
• Lead and coordinate a cross‑functional team of engineers and embedded Industrialisation resources.
• Manage task allocation, prioritisation, and capacity planning.
• Conduct regular planning sessions and one‑on‑one engagements to support team members and remove obstacles.
• Provide meaningful input into performance and development discussions.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Engineering Managers, Program Managers, Product Owners, and Principal Engineers to manage dependencies and optimise resource allocation.
• Participate in cross‑team planning forums and support integrated programme delivery.
• Contribute to hiring decisions and team growth initiatives.

Qualifications

• BEng or BTech degree in Mechanical, Electronic, Systems, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualifications in Engineering, Engineering Management, or Project Management certifications (PMP or equivalent) will be advantageous.
• 7–12 years of relevant engineering or engineering delivery experience.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in a delivery leadership or project management role within a structured engineering environment.
• Experience leading cross‑functional engineering teams through formal design review processes.
• Exposure to hardware product development environments, ideally within the space, defence, or high‑reliability industries.
• Strong project management and execution abilities.
• Systems engineering coordination and configuration management experience.
• Knowledge of engineering review processes (PDR, CDR, QR).
• Experience with project planning and ERP systems.
• Familiarity with requirements management and configuration control tools such as Teamcenter.
• Understanding of ADCS actuator technologies and engineering development processes.
• A proactive, delivery‑focused mindset with high levels of accountability.