CTO Reentry Systems

Role description

You will lead the system-level development and integration of a next-generation reentry capsule. You will make the main architectural and technical decisions across the vehicle and take responsibility for moving the design from early development through integration, testing, and flight readiness. You will work across the major vehicle systems and ensure that the overall design works as a single, reliable system.

You will coordinate propulsion, avionics and navigation, structures, thermal protection, communications, and recovery, while managing system interfaces, vehicle budgets, and technical trade-offs. You will lead the V-model from system definition through verification and validation, work with engineers and external partners on integration and testing, and lead the technical aspects of aerospace compliance, including relevant European ECSS standards, manufacturing requirements, and export-control or licensing processes.

This position is in a startup environment. You should be comfortable with ambiguity, tight schedules, shifting priorities, rapid iteration, and taking ownership of technical decisions that directly affect the vehicle and company.

Work arrangement: Remote, with 20–30% travel to the core engineering facilities

Visa: EU work authorization preferred; visa sponsorship may be considered for exceptional candidates

Contract: Permanent, with 3-month probation

Salary: Based on experience and location

Stock: Substantial equity based on experience

Responsibilities

• Lead the system-level development of the reentry capsule from early design through flight readiness.
• Own the overall vehicle architecture and integration of propulsion, avionics and navigation, structures, thermal protection, communications, recovery, and other critical subsystems.
• Define and manage system interfaces and key vehicle budgets, including mass, power, thermal, aerodynamic, and performance budgets.
• Drive the system engineering V-model through design, integration, verification, validation, and flight readiness.
• Identify and resolve system-level technical risks and cross-disciplinary design trade-offs.
• Evaluate how subsystem decisions affect overall vehicle performance, reliability, and flight characteristics.
• Coordinate engineering activities around development, integration, testing, and mission milestones.
• Lead technical reviews and make system-level decisions where subsystem designs or requirements conflict.
• Ensure subsystem development converges into an integrated, testable, and flight-ready vehicle.
• Establish engineering processes, tools, documentation, and development standards as the company scales.
• Lead the technical aspects of aerospace regulatory and compliance activities, including relevant ECSS standards, manufacturing requirements, and export-control or licensing processes.
• Work directly with engineering partners, suppliers, testing facilities, and other external technical stakeholders.

Main requirements

• Proven experience as a CTO, Technical Director, Engineering Lead, or equivalent technical leadership role on a complex aerospace system.
• Experience developing spacecraft, launch vehicles, reentry vehicles, or other complex flight systems.
• Experience designing and integrating complex aerospace systems, with direct responsibility for subsystem interfaces, mass and power budgets, and system-level performance.
• Hands-on experience taking aerospace hardware through full cycle of integration, testing, verification, and validation toward flight readiness.
• Strong understanding of aerospace development standards and regulatory requirements, including ECSS or equivalent frameworks.
• Experience evaluating how subsystem-level design decisions affect the overall vehicle, including mass, thermal, aerodynamic, power, reliability, and recovery performance.

Other requirements

• Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or Materials Engineering, or a related technical field.

Nice to have, but not mandatory

• Direct experience with atmospheric reentry vehicles, reentry capsules, or high-speed atmospheric flight systems.
• Experience taking a complex aerospace system from concept through first flight.
• Experience with spacecraft recovery, descent systems, or atmospheric flight testing.
• Experience with aerospace qualification, environmental testing, or flight-readiness.
• Experience working with European aerospace regulatory, licensing, or export-control processes.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance available if you would like to move to the location of the on-site engineering facilities.