Project Manager – Space Propulsion

Description We are looking for an experienced Project Manager with an engineering background to join our in-space propulsion team in Delft, The Netherlands. We need a proven project manager who thrives in complex technical environments and can quickly take ownership of high-value customer projects from day one. Dawn Aerospace has become the biggest green propulsion provider in the world, and our ambitions are even greater. As demand for our satellite propulsion systems continues to grow, we are looking for a Project Manager who can turn ambitious goals into successful deliveries, coordinating multidisciplinary teams to bring cutting-edge space hardware from concept to orbit. In this role, you will be accountable for the successful delivery of multiple satellite propulsion projects, working at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and customer success. You will lead your projects through every phase of the product lifecycle, from requirements definition and design through procurement, production, integration, testing, and final delivery. You will be the driving force that keeps projects on track, teams aligned, and customers informed. This role combines strategic planning with hands-on execution and offers exposure to the full lifecycle of flight hardware in a fast-growing space company. If you want a role where you can simply maintain schedules and attend meetings, then this is not for you. We’re looking for a highly motivated Project Manager who is unafraid to take ownership, navigate uncertainty, and help deliver the next generation of space propulsion systems. Responsibilities • Manage multiple in-space propulsion projects, driving schedule, budget, scope, and the delivery of flight hardware. • Own project plans, milestones, dependencies, resource needs, and customer commitments from contract handover to delivery. • Act as the primary customer interface and translate technical and commercial requirements into clear, executable priorities for multidisciplinary teams. • Coordinate engineering, supply chain, production, AIT, quality, and other internal functions to keep projects aligned and moving. • Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, and deviations, establish recovery actions, and escalate decisions early when needed. • Balance technical performance, schedule, resources, and customer expectations using practical engineering judgement. • Provide concise, evidence-based project reporting and forecasts to customers, internal stakeholders, and management. • Manage scope changes, contractual deliverables, acceptance criteria, and project documentation with a high level of discipline, and prepare and propose Contract Change Notices (CCNs) where required. • Contribute proven project management practices, templates, and lessons learned that strengthen the wider Project Management team. • Travel to other Dawn offices, suppliers, or customer locations when required, expected up to approximately 10% of working time. Qualifications • A degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline. • Hands-on experience delivering complex engineering or hardware projects, with at least three years of project management experience in the aerospace or defence industry, or at least five years in manufacturing or another high-tech product environment. • Demonstrated experience managing project scope, schedule, budget, risks, and customer commitments while coordinating multidisciplinary teams. • Strong technical understanding and the ability to work credibly with engineers, customers, and other stakeholders in an international environment. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the judgement, structure, and initiative to t