Mission Systems Engineer (m/w/d) / Space & Defense Industry

About the CompanyInfinite Orbits GmbH is the German subsidiary of Infinite Orbits SAS, a NewSpace company founded in 2017 that now has more than 200 employees, with locations including Luxembourg, the UK, Spain, and Singapore.The company develops in-orbit servicing solutions built on its own autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) technology, spanning awareness, surveillance, inspection, and protection of space assets through to life extension.With its newly established Munich site, Infinite Orbits builds a dedicated local presence in Germany, developing capabilities in business development, R&D, product development, system engineering, production, and mission operations to enable Europe's defense and space sector.About the RoleAs Mission Systems Engineer, you own the mission. You turn customer needs into feasible, defensible mission concepts for RPO and in-orbit servicing across space segment, ground segment, launch, operations, and user segment, and you define the requirements each segment has to meet.Proposal preparation is at the core of this role: you lead the technical volume of Infinite Orbits Germany's bids and RFI/RFP responses and provide the mission content for funding applications, from the first mission sketch to the submitted document. Working hand in hand with Business Development and the Proposal & Project Manager, you shape the technical solution that qualifies an opportunity and wins it, building on proven product and technology solutions from Engineering in Toulouse and other Group entities.Once contracts are won, you carry your mission concept into execution. As a founding technical hire, you own the analysis that underpins every German proposal and delivery.Job DescriptionTechnical proposal lead: Lead the technical volume of RFI/RFP responses and customer proposals and provide mission content for national and European funding applications: mission concept, solution description, feasibility evidence, and technical risks and mitigations. Provide technical input to the compliance matrix, work breakdown structure, schedule, and cost, which the Proposal & Project Manager owns.Bid strategy & win themes: Work with Business Development and the Proposal & Project Manager on bid/no-bid decisions, win themes, and technical discriminators; drive technical reviews and answer clarification questions through to submission.Mission analysis ownership: Own RPO and in-orbit servicing mission analysis, including orbit and trajectory design, approach and abort strategies, safety and collision-avoidance concepts, and Δv and timeline budgets.Mission concept & ConOps: Define mission architectures and concepts of operations across all mission phases, from launch and early operations through to end of life.Requirements & allocation: Derive mission requirements from customer needs and allocate them to space segment, ground segment, launch, and operations; define the spacecraft-level requirements baseline together with the Satellite Systems Engineer.End-to-end trade-offs: Run and document system-level trade-offs, ensuring technical coherence across all segments.Sales & business development support: Provide technical depth in early customer conversations and capability presentations, and qualify new opportunities with Business Development.Project execution: Own technical workstreams on won contracts, in particular concept and feasibility studies (Phase 0/A), ensuring delivery against mission and contractual requirements.Group coordination: Work with Engineering in Toulouse and other Group entities to align mission analysis methods and leverage existing product and technology solutions across the Infinite Orbits Group.RequirementsEducation & ExperienceEngineering degree in aerospace, astrodynamics, space systems engineering, or a related field, or equivalent.3+ years of experience in mission analysis or mission systems engineering, with a track record of independently owning technical workstreams.Hands-on experience preparing technical proposals, study proposals, or funding applications in the space or defense sector (e.g. ESA, DLR, Bundeswehr, EU).Experience with RPO, GNC, formation flying, or in-orbit servicing missions is a strong plus.Skills & Other RequirementsStrong command of mission analysis tools and methods (e.g. STK, GMAT, Orekit, Python).Working knowledge across space segment, ground segment, launcher interfaces, and user segment integration.Ability to size, defend, and iterate mission solutions under customer or stakeholder scrutiny.Excellent structured writing: able to turn technical analysis into compelling, compliant proposal content under deadline pressure.Comfortable engaging directly with customers and prospects to support sales and business development conversations.Autonomy and ownership: comfortable owning workstreams independently in an early-stage, cross-border team environment, working closely with Group entities in France and beyond.Fluent in German and English.Willingness to undergo a German security clearance procedure (Sicherheitsüberprüfung).Frequent travel required within Germany and to Infinite Orbits' HQ in Toulouse and other European locations.What we offerA founding technical role with direct ownership of mission concepts and technical proposals in a growing European space and defense company.Direct exposure to customers, bids, and cross-border collaboration with the Infinite Orbits Group.WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR APPLICATION!Find more English Speaking Jobs in Germany on Arbeitnow