Senior Spacecraft Qualification Engineer

Responsibilities

We are representing a confidential aerospace organization seeking a Senior Spacecraft Qualification Engineer for their Berlin facility. In this role, you will serve as the primary mechanical and environmental test engineering authority, taking ownership of environmental testing activities supporting spacecraft production and delivery.

Own environmental test execution and respond to off-nominal events:

• Review environmental test requirements, procedures, and readiness packages for spacecraft acceptance and protoflight campaigns
• Serve as the primary technical authority during test operations including vibration, shock, thermal cycling, and thermal vacuum test operations
• Perform hands-on operations including instrumentation setup, inspections, test monitoring, and hardware troubleshooting
• Assess test data in real time to identify failures, anomalies, or unexpected hardware responses
• Develop and implement technically sound recovery plans while preserving personnel safety, facility safety, and hardware integrity

Ensure test readiness and facility capability:

• Validate test configurations, instrumentation plans, facility readiness, and hardware constraints prior to test execution
• Coordinate with technicians and cross-functional teams to ensure safe and efficient execution of environmental test campaigns
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations
• Supervise and assist with procurement, machining, assembly and proofloading operations of test fixtures and Ground Support Equipment (GSE)

Drive measurement and test data analysis:

• Configure and validate data acquisition systems, instrumentation, and test monitoring tools
• Analyze environmental test data to evaluate hardware performance, determine compliance, identify anomalies, and recommend next steps

Implement continuous improvement and process development:

• Improve environmental test processes, procedures, facility capabilities, and operational efficiency and reliability
• Develop practical solutions to recurring technical challenges and contribute to long-term reliability of environmental test operations

Document and develop communication:

• Generate clear test reports, anomaly investigations, and engineering recommendations based on environmental test results
• Provide technical guidance to technicians and advise spacecraft, systems, manufacturing, and quality teams on environmental test matters
• Develop close communication and working relationships with Engineering and Manufacturing teams. Participate in technical reviews, program status meetings, and similar activities

What We're Looking For

Required qualifications:

• 6+ years of relevant work experience
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Thermal Engineering or Electro-Mechanics/Robotics Engineering
• Experience owning vibration, shock, thermal cycling, and thermal vacuum test campaigns for flight or flight-like hardware
• Understanding of environmental verification methodologies, acceptance and protoflight testing industry standards, and flight hardware handling
• Knowledge of spacecraft systems and the interactions between structures, mechanisms, avionics, payloads, and thermal systems
• Knowledge of structural dynamics and vibration theory (resonance and modal behavior, wave propagation, random vibration, boundary control, etc.)
• Knowledge of heat transfer principles and thermal management technology
• Ability to evaluate test data, identify anomalies, assess risk, make sound engineering decisions during off-nominal situations, and develop recovery plans for flight hardware
• Proficiency in using Solidworks CAD & FEA (simulation) or equivalent
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while managing competing priorities and tight schedules
• Ability to lead a team of technicians and work closely with international engineers in a collaborative environment

Preferred qualifications:

• Hands-on experience (portfolio submission encouraged)
• Experience in operating a variety of test machines such as vibration shakers, thermal chambers, TVAC chambers, shock machines, as well as working with test equipment such as power supplies, multimeters, oscilloscopes
• Experience building and working with DAQs for test article command/control and data gathering; well-versed with the instrumentation, usage, and data consumption from accelerometers, load cells and other DAQ sensors
• Interest in prototyping, rapid iteration and agile processes. Experience in working in a machine shop
• Interest in automation. Familiarity with Raspberry Pis, Node Red, or Python

Important notes:

• This is a full-time, in-office position based in Berlin 5 days per week
• Occasional travel should be expected as part of testing and integration operations
• This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the candidate's ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by German, EU, or U.S. authorities

How We Work With You

Our talent team at Get A Job.ai is partnering with this aerospace organization to identify exceptional candidates. When you apply through our platform, one of our recruiters will review your qualifications and conduct an initial screening. If your background aligns with the role requirements, we will submit your profile to our client for consideration. Please do not attempt to contact the client directly—all applications must be processed through Get A Job.ai to be considered.

Pay

This position is based in Berlin, Germany. While we do not have specific compensation information from Get A Job.ai for this role, the position is expected to offer competitive compensation aligned with the senior engineering level and Berlin market rates for aerospace professionals.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Get A Job.ai is committed to inclusive hiring practices and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We evaluate candidates based on qualifications and experience relevant to the role.