Technical Project Manager - Space Domain Software (m/w/d)

OKAPI:Orbits

OKAPI:Orbits

IT, Operations

Germany · Remote

Posted on May 24, 2026

Technical Project Manager - Space Domain Software (m/w/d)

Germany (Brunswick), Brunswick/Remote (Germany)
Full-time
Permanent employee

Your mission

We are looking for a Technical Project Manager in Space Domain Software who thrives at the intersection of technology, people leadership, and customer success. In this hybrid technical + management role, you will lead a small engineering team, manage key customer projects, and contribute directly to the development of advanced space systems across flight dynamics, SSA/SST, and mission operations.

You’ll act as both a hands-on engineer and a strategic project leader, guiding software development, steering technical discussions with satellite operators, and ensuring customer satisfaction across commercial and institutional missions.

This is a high-impact role with broad ownership. You’ll contribute to technical delivery, customer success, and strategic initiatives, including proposals and projects for space sustainability, SSA/SST, and mission operations.

Your tasks and responsibilities

Technical Leadership (50%)
  • Lead the design, development, and operation of space systems, including:
    • Orbit determination and propagation
    • Maneuver planning and trajectory optimization
    • SSA/SST processing, catalog maintenance, and sensor data integration
  • Architect, implement, and review production-grade software using:
    • Python, Java, FORTRAN
    • Orekit, or similar orbit mechanics libraries
  • Conduct verification and validation (V&V) with real mission datasets.
Project & Team Leadership (50%)
  • Lead a high-performing engineering team (2–6 people), including mentoring, coordinating workloads, and guiding technical decisions.
  • Drive end-to-end project delivery, ensuring technical quality, timelines, and customer success.
  • Work directly with satellite operators and institutional partners to:
    • Capture and refine mission requirements
    • Lead high-level technical discussions
    • Translate operational needs into actionable system features
  • Serve as the primary technical point of contact for key accounts, building long-term customer relationships.
  • Coordinate cross-functional efforts for proposals, strategic initiatives, and roadmap development.

Your profile

Must-have:

  • M.Sc. or higher in Aerospace/Space Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or another relevant technical field.
  • Approx. 5 years of experience in the space engineering domain, including proven experience in coordinating or leading technical projects in the space domain (flight dynamics, SSA/SST, mission operations, or ground segment software).
  • Proven ability to drive full lifecycle software development
  • Strong background in technical project management, including:
  • Hands-on experience with software engineering in Python, Fortran, Java, or similar, and familiarity with modern development practices (CI/CD, testing, DevOps workflows).
  • Ability to work directly with customers
  • Experience providing guidance to small engineering teams, including mentoring and task coordination.
  • Professional experience in international, distributed teams
  • valid EU work authorization.

Nice-to-have:

  • Knowledge of cloud-native architectures and deployment frameworks (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS/Azure/GCP).
  • Familiarity with:
    • Orbit determination libraries (Orekit, GMAT, or similar)
    • SSA/SST processing pipelines
    • Sensor fusion workflows or catalog maintenance
  • Experience in proposal writing, project scoping, or supporting business development efforts with technical input.
  • Background collaborating with space agencies (ESA, DLR, etc.) or institutional missions.
  • Awareness of ground segment operations, automated mission planning, or mission control workflows.

Why us?

  • With a lean hierarchy and small working groups, you define your own way of work including flexible work hours.
  • Work on groundbreaking space sustainability challenges with a team of top-tier engineers and scientists.
  • Enjoy technical freedom. Influence system architecture, research methodologies, and data integration approaches.
  • Grow continuously with access to training budgets, industry conferences, and networking opportunities.
  • Be part of a strong engineering culture, with regular knowledge-sharing sessions, technical deep dives, and innovation sprints.
  • Great team spirit, with company-wide events such as monthly all-hands lunches, and social activities like laser tag, dinners, and team-building outings.