Technical Program Manager & Engineering Operations (Aerospace / Robotics)

At Near Space Labs we design, build and operate a fleet of stratospheric robots to image the Earth. We launch our proprietary, balloon-based imaging robots to heights between 40,000 and 60,000 feet. From this vantage point, we capture petabytes of imagery for a variety of use cases. 

We are seeking a Technical Program Manager to coordinate the lifecycle of new features and upgrades across R&D, Manufacturing, and Fleet Management. Reporting directly to the CTO, you will be responsible for aligning cross-functional requirements, managing critical-path schedules, and ensuring that our technical standards are met from prototype to deployment. We are looking for a systems-thinker who can manage the complexity of deploying new hardware to real-life applications, while fostering a culture of disciplined execution.

Your responsibilities will be

• Create and co-own the project plans and schedule for new features, from inception to deployment in the field.
• Coordinate and trade-off the inputs and needs of the different departments involved in a feature release.
• Coordinate project gates such as acceptance reviews and others.
• Communicate with Flight Operations on the status of feature requests and releases.
• Evolve or streamline the existing processes for hardware development and manufacturing in an aerospace environment, with the ideal balance of agility and rigour.
• Enhance the tooling that supports development processes, configuration management and traceability if needed.
• Lead cross-functional projects with other teams like data engineering, flight operations and product.

Your Skills & Background 

• Experience in project management in engineering environments with real-life tradeoffs.
• 10+ years of experience, of which 2+ in a similar role.
• Hands-on experience with design, manufacturing or test processes in Robotics, Aeronautics, Drones, Auto, IoT, or a similar field containing hardware and embedded software.
• Degree in engineering; aerospace, industrial, mechanical, production, electronics or similar.
• Mission-oriented and focused on accomplishing goals autonomously.
• Willingness to cover different hats  and roles as the company expands.

Location

This is an onsite, full-time role in Barcelona, Spain.

What We Offer

• An exciting startup culture where you will have the opportunity to play a critical role in building and scaling a one-of-a-kind technology and organization.
• You will be part of an enthusiastic, international and motivated team of professionals who are committed to building unique technologies, being rigorous, and finding novel solutions to interesting problems.
• A diverse and inclusive workplace where we welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. 
• A commitment that you will never be bored.

Equal employment opportunity

Near Space Labs is committed to diversity in our organization and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences. Near Space Labs provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.