Senior Programme Associate

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability At Hypersonica , we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast. By joining Hypersonica , you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously. We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence. What you'll do • Support the day-to-day delivery of defence programmes and major workstreams, helping to maintain momentum across schedules, priorities, and execution. • Translate customer requirements, contractual inputs, and complex information into clear plans, milestones, presentations, and actionable next steps. • Work directly with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders, supporting meetings, programme reviews, workshops, and delivery discussions. • Coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, operations, business development, and external suppliers to keep programmes moving at pace. • Track progress, risks, actions, and dependencies, identifying issues early and helping drive them through to resolution. • Conduct structured analysis to support programme, commercial, and strategic decisions. • Support commercial and programme activities, including delivery planning, customer reporting, change control, and the preparation of proposals. • Prepare clear, concise programme materials that enable fast, high-quality decision-making. • Take ownership of defined workstreams and increasingly complex responsibilities as you develop in the role. • Learn by doing, operating close to real customers, real technology, real constraints, and real delivery pressure. Who you are • An ambitious early-career professional with at least 2-3 years of experience in management consulting, DefTech, aerospace, a technology start-up, or another demanding and high-paced environment. • Experienced in breaking down complex or ambiguous problems, structuring your thinking, and turning analysis into practical action. • Comfortable operating between analysis and execution; you do not want a role confined to producing slides, reports, or recommendations. • Fluent or native-level in German and fluent in English, with the confidence to operate in bilingual, cross-cultural settings. • A strong communicator who can produce clear, concise, and well-structured written materials. • Highly organised, dependable, and able to manage several priorities without losing attention to detail. • Comfortable interacting with senior stakeholders, customers, technical teams, and external partners. • Curious about how complex programmes succeed commercially, technically, and organisationally. • Motivated by responsibility, rapid progression, and visible impact rather than narrow task ownership or rigid hierarchies. • Energised by working in a small, fast-moving team where expectations are high and learning is accelerated. • Interested in defence, advanced technology, and contributing to European sovereign capability. • A background in strategy, operations, engineering, technology, public policy, international relations, or a similarly relev