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Dawn Aerospace, a leading green propulsion provider for satellites, is seeking an experienced Project Manager with an engineering background to join the in-space propulsion team in Delft, Netherlands.
You will be accountable for the successful delivery of multiple satellite propulsion projects, managing the full lifecycle from requirements definition through design, procurement, production, integration, testing, and final delivery. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and customer success. You will coordinate multidisciplinary teams, act as the primary customer interface, translate technical and commercial requirements into executable priorities, and drive projects through every phase.
Key responsibilities include:
- Managing multiple in-space propulsion projects, owning schedules, budgets, scope, and flight hardware delivery
- Serving as primary customer interface and translating requirements for internal teams
- Coordinating engineering, supply chain, production, AIT, quality, and other functions
- Proactively identifying risks, bottlenecks, and deviations; establishing recovery actions
- Balancing technical performance, schedule, resources, and customer expectations
- Providing evidence-based project reporting and forecasts to customers and stakeholders
- Managing scope changes, contractual deliverables, and project documentation; preparing Contract Change Notices as needed
- Contributing project management best practices and lessons learned to strengthen the PM team
- Traveling to other offices, suppliers, or customer locations as needed (approximately 10% of working time)
This is a hands-on role requiring someone who thrives in complex technical environments, takes ownership quickly, and can navigate uncertainty while delivering cutting-edge space hardware.
Requirements:
- Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, or relevant engineering discipline
- At least 3 years of project management experience in aerospace or defence industry, OR at least 5 years in manufacturing or high-tech product environment, with hands-on experience delivering complex engineering or hardware projects
- Demonstrated experience managing project scope, schedule, budget, risks, and customer commitments while coordinating multidisciplinary teams
- Strong technical understanding and ability to work credibly with engineers, customers, and stakeholders in international environment
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to take ownership of active projects quickly and work independently with limited training
- Ability to obtain Dutch, NATO, or EU security clearances
Desired experience:
- Background with spacecraft, space propulsion, aerospace, defence, or safety/mission-critical products
- Knowledge of spacecraft development processes, systems engineering methods, verification, qualification, and acceptance testing
- Experience delivering physical products through development, industrialization, manufacturing, integration, and test
- Experience establishing and maintaining integrated project plans, milestones, risk registers, budgets, forecasts, and management reporting
- Familiarity with project management tools (Wrike, MS Project, Jira, or equivalent)
- Experience working across geographically distributed teams, customers, and suppliers
Note: This is a permanent position starting with a fixed-term contract of 12 months. Preferred start date is January 2027.
