Chief of Staff (m/f/d)

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mission Brief</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Support our CTO and help us keep Europe's launch capability on track! As Chief of Staff to the CTO, you will act as the CTO's deputy in the internal programme and product forums, sitting in the rooms where technical decisions are made on their behalf. You will understand how our programmes actually run, spot bottlenecks before they materialise, and drive the teams that hit them back onto a credible path.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This is an engineering role first. You are not a representative of the CTO externally — you are the person who covers for them internally when they cannot be in the room, and who makes things happen in their place.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Your role in our space mission</span></strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Deputise for the CTO in product and programme meetings, reviews and decision forums, and carry the outcome back with a clear view of what was decided and what it means</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Build a deep, current understanding of how each programme runs — dependencies, critical paths, interfaces between engineering, production, quality and AIT — rather than relying on status reporting</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Identify bottlenecks early, before they turn into schedule or cost problems, and drive their resolution with the responsible teams</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Take ownership of programmes that have drifted, define the corrective path and get them back on track</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Provide the CTO with a technically grounded, unfiltered view of programme health and the risks that are not yet visible in the plans</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Follow up on decisions and commitments made in the CTO's name, and close them out or escalate them early</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Spend real time in the labs, on the shop floor and in AIT to form your own judgement</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Qualification Checklist </strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Degree in engineering or a comparable technical discipline, with several years of hands-on engineering or programme experience in aerospace, space, defence or another complex hardware environment</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Have delivered or recovered hardware programmes with real technical, cost and schedule risk — ideally through development, industrialisation or ramp-up</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Understand how complex technical programmes actually fail, and can find the constraint before it becomes critical</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Technically credible enough to follow a design review, a production-readiness argument and an AIT non-conformance, without pretending to be the deepest expert in the room</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Work through influence rather than line authority, and are trusted by VPs, Chief Engineer and Programm leads alike</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Communicate clearly and directly at executive level, in writing and in the room</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Speak English fluently; German is a strong plus for internal and works-council contexts</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p><strong><span lang="EN-US">Benefits </span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Employee Participation Program:</strong> Share in our success through our virtual company share program</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>30 days of vacation: </strong>Enjoy the days off to relax and recharge </span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Company pension plan:</strong> Secure your future with our company pension plan, featuring a 20% employer contribution after the probation period</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Subsidised lunch:</strong> Stay energised with delicious, subsidised lunches every day</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Public transport ticket:</strong> Commute with ease using a fully financed Deutschlandticket</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Rental clothing with laundry service:</strong> Enjoy hassle-free workwear with our convenient rental clothing and laundry service   </span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Sport Clubs membership:</strong> Stay fit with our sponsored sports club memberships (EGYM Wellpass)</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Individual learning allowance:</strong> Grow your skills with an i