Programme Manager - Space

Who we are Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards.   As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously.   We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers.  We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications.   The role Helsing is building sovereign space-based capabilities for Europe in the fields of Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting. This are most consequential programmes the company has undertaken, and it requires a Programme Manager with the experience to lead it. In this role, you will own end-to-end programme management of one specific programmes within Helsing's Space domain. Helsing runs multiple programmes within this domain. You will be responsible for one of them, and you will be expected to own it fully: its strategy, its governance, and its delivery. You will manage complex stakeholder relationships across industry partners and internal technical teams, and you will ensure that customer requirements translate accurately into delivery plans. The work is high-stakes and the pace is demanding. You will need to have operated in environments like this before. The day-to-day Shaping and executing the programme strategy, vision, and roadmap for your assigned Space programme Organising workstreams across Helsing internally and with industry partners, ensuring clear ownership, sequencing, and accountability at all times Facilitating key programme meetings, including status reviews, steering committees, and stand-ups, ensuring they are well-prepared, documented, and that actions are tracked through to completion Supporting external client and partner engagements, representing the programme with credibility in front of senior government and industry counterparts Acting as the central point of contact for programme information requests, maintaining a single source of truth for all programme data and documentation Preparing high-quality briefing packs, dashboards, and presentations for senior leadership and key external stakeholders Engaging with technical delivery teams to understand their progress, challenges, and resource needs, translating this into clear, actionable programme-level insights Supporting programme governance activities and ensuring compliance with established processes and standards throughout the programme lifecycle You should apply if you Significant experience managing complex programmes or projects specifically within the space sector, in roles where you held clear ownership of programme outcomes Demonstrated experience managing government programmes and coordinating with government stakeholders, ideally within a defence or dual-use context A track record of translating demanding customer and regulatory requirements into delivery plans that technical teams can execute against Experience organising multi-party workstreams across internal and external organisations, including commercial partners and government programme offices Strong business acumen and the ability to engage credibly with market and commercial dynamics alongside programme delivery Experience operating within competitive, high-accountability environments where delivery against commitments is non-negotiable English and German language proficiency at a professional working level Willingness to relocate to or be based in Berlin or Munich Eligibility for and willingness to undergo clearance process for a German “Ü2” Personal Security Clearance Willingness to travel for business as the programme requires Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically   under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points. Nice to Have Direct experience with European Space Agency programmes or ESA procurement and contracting processes Experience in high-stakes competitive programme bids or captures within the defence or space sector in Germany, especially with Bundeswehr Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields   Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns The work is unique. We operate in a domai