Product Assurance Engineer

Darwin Recruitment is currently hiring for a Product Assurance Engineer on behalf of a company in South Germany that develops miniaturized labs and bioreactors for use in microgravity, enabling life sciences and biotech research both on Earth and aboard the ISS. They offer a "Lab-as-a-Service" model, managing end-to-end payload delivery for customers. They’ve launched 150+ space labs for 60+ customers worldwide, working with partners like Sierra Space, ESA, and Rocket Factory Augsburg. Their work focuses on advancing drug discovery, protein crystallization, and tissue engineering in space.

YOUR MISSION

They develop and operate life science experiments and research facilities in microgravity – for pharmaceuticals, biotech, and research. Their mission: To improve the quality of life on Earth by harnessing the potential of microgravity as a research parameter and manufacturing environment.

YOUR TASKS

• Responsibility for all Product Assurance (PA) activities within the company
• Authority to stop projects in case of identified deficiencies (e.g. missing documentation, NCRs on components) and to release them again once the issues have been resolved.
• Creation and maintenance of PA documentation, including: PA Plan, Declared Materials List, Risk Register, anomaly reports, deviations, Non‑Conformance Reports (NCRs), etc.
• Ensuring compliance with all PA specifications across ongoing projects – particularly regarding materials and processes, EEE components, and software.
• Participation in design reviews, test reviews, and verification & validation activities.
• Coordination with customers, space agencies, and subcontractors on all PA‑related topics.
• Leading or supporting failure investigations, including root cause analysis and definition and implementation of corrective actions.
• Conducting audits, inspections, and reviews to ensure both internal and external quality requirements are met.
• Advising the internal engineering team on quality‑relevant aspects of development and testing.
• Close collaboration and coordination with project safety engineers.
• Contributing to the development of a sustainable PA strategy for future company projects in LEO, on the ISS, and on commercial space stations and spacecraft.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

• Completed degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, quality assurance, or a related field.
• At least 4 years of relevant professional experience in product assurance, ideally in space projects.
• Excellent knowledge of ESA Product Assurance standards (ECSS) or comparable NASA standards (e.g. ECSS‑Q‑ST‑10C, ECSS‑Q‑ST‑20, -60, -70, and -80).
• Experience with processes and requirements in astronautical/human spaceflight and microgravity experiment and system development.
• Fluent in German & English.
• Independent and structured working style with a hands‑on mentality and strong team spirit.
• Confident communicator when interacting with agencies such as ESA, DLR, or NASA, as well as with industrial partners.
• Proficient in MS Office.
• Strong team player with a proactive and self‑motivated mindset.
• Comfortable taking on responsibility and ownership.
• Adaptable and able to work effectively in high‑uncertainty environments.
• Practical mindset with strong execution focus.
• Low ego and empathetic toward colleagues.

James Godfrey

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