Chief Victory Officer, Space Strategy and Defence Capabilities (m/f/d)

Think of this as the CTO of our space systems: you connect what SFDY can build with what the military world needs, so that we design the right vehicles down the road.

Mission & responsibilities

Think of this role as the CTO of our space systems. Nobody yet knows how to operate and prevail in space, and you will work it out together with the military world and with our engineers. You are the bridge between what SFDY can build and what the forces will need, so that we design the right vehicles down the road. “Victory” here means Europe and its allies staying secure in space.

SFDY is a young company that is scaling fast, with strong demand and big plans. You will be the first person in this role, with room to shape it.

Bridge to the military world

1. Engage military planners, capability developers and doctrine builders in Germany, NATO and allied nations, and understand how they think about operating in space
2. Bring SFDY’s concepts, simulation tools and people into the working groups where requirements and doctrine take shape
3. Turn what you learn into requirements our engineering teams can design against

Capability roadmap

1. Define with the CEO and our teams what SFDY builds next, what we demonstrate and where we invest
2. Keep the roadmap ahead of the threat picture and of what physics and technology permit
3. Shape the concepts for future vehicles and systems with our architects and engineers

Demonstrators & business

1. Get demonstrators started with defence customers and position SFDY in German and European defence space programmes
2. Open the doors that lead to business, and steer our business development efforts through them
3. Represent SFDY before senior decision-makers, at conferences and in publications

What we are looking for

Must have

• 8+ years in defence or the defence industry, in space or a closely related domain, with experience in capability development, operational planning or concept work
• Experience presenting complex technology to senior decision-makers and making it understandable
• Strategic thinking: you can build a coherent picture for a domain that is still being defined
• Enough technical understanding of space systems to judge what is feasible in orbit
• Fluent German and English

Nice to have

• French, a plus for work with French and other European partners
• Experience with the Bundeswehr, NATO or another European space organisation
• A network in German and European defence planning
• Experience with wargaming, operational analysis or concept development and experimentation