Head of Product Development (w/m/d)

As Head of Product Development at Yuri you lead and develop your functional area, ensuring effective execution, clear structures, and scalable processes.

You build and guide high-performing teams, align priorities across stakeholders, and translate strategy into reliable outcomes.

You lead the engineering teams across the different sites of Yuri (Germany, Luxembourg, US) and report directly to the Chief Technology Officer.

You are responsible for ensuring the technical success of projects by implementing and upholding best practices from the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook and ECSS standards within the team.

Responsibilities Translate the technical roadmap and requirements from the CTO into reliable and scalable spaceflight systems.

Act as the cross-project technical lead, supporting and steering the respective systems engineers.

Supervise a multi-disciplinary engineering team of ~15 members across all project phases (A–E).

Steer cross-project system architectures and interfaces to ensure compatibility across Yuri’s developments.

Identify synergies, reusable platform elements and cost-saving opportunities across projects.

Own and continuously improve technical processes, including requirements management, reviews and version control.

Ensure all projects manage the full requirements lifecycle: definition, decomposition, tracking and final verification.

Oversee validation and verification activities across all projects.

Organize and conduct reviews in line with ECSS standards, ensuring proper documentation throughout all project phases (A–E).

Support proposals and business cases for European Space Agency, other space agencies, and commercial partners.

Support intellectual property rights, licensing, and regulatory aspects related to technologies and services.

Report critical technical decisions and challenges directly to the CTO.

Create a culture where technical excellence, structured engineering and pragmatic delivery coexist effectively.

Qualifications 5+ years of experience in similar roles (INCOSE certification is a plus).

Broad and deep interdisciplinary knowledge across mechanical, thermal, electrical, software and AIT domains.

Experience leading, guiding and developing engineering teams of ~20 people.

Ability to identify synergies and cost-saving opportunities across projects and systems.

Strong understanding of systems engineering principles, requirements management, verification, testing and product development lifecycles.

Ability to lead through technical uncertainty and make transparent engineering trade-offs.

Experience in design, AIT and PA/Safety in human spaceflight, including familiarity with space program roles, standards (e. g.

ECSS, SSP) and configuration control is beneficial.

Strong team player with excellent communication skills; supportive, well-organized and able to work independently.

Structured working style with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deliver reliably.

Excellent English; German is very helpful.

Willing to stay hands‑on and contribute operationally alongside leadership responsibilities.

Benefits Flexible Work We offer a flexible work environment with adjustable working hours and the option to work from home.

Location Our office is located in one of the most beautiful regions in Europe – right by Lake Constance, with the Alps just under an hour away for hiking or skiing.

We have a cozy 600m² loft office, complete with a spacious kitchen, foosball table, spikeball, and a well-stocked beer fridge (yes, beer and coffee are on us!).

Weekly team cooking sessions and regular team events add some extra variety to your work life.

Technology & Equipment Whether you're Team Mac or Team Windows, we'll help you find your perfect setup.

We support sustainable mobility: you can charge your e-car, e-bike, or e-scooter for free at our office in Meckenbeuren.

Diversity & Inclusion We care about each other and believe that a great workplace reflects the diversity of the world we live in.

We value what makes you unique – your gender, background, sexuality, religion, or even your dislike of pineapple on pizza.

Sustainability & Impact We offset the emissions from our rocket launches, business travel, and all other activities.

We also offset the private emissions of every team member.

You'll get one Impact Day per year to dedicate to social or environmental causes – e. g., joining a climate protest or volunteering your time for a good cause. #J-18808-Ljbffr