Manager, Technical Programme Management, meoSphere Payload Development

The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

ProgramME Description

meoSphere is SES’s next-generation Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation, designed to deliver secure connectivity services to government agencies, enterprises, and commercial customers. It will also provide high-speed broadband internet to eliminate global connectivity dead zones.

To accelerate development timelines, reduce costs, and ensure quality, SES is internalizing a critical segment of the satellite supply chain: the final integration of partner satellite platforms with SES’s software-defined payloads, all within a cutting-edge manufacturing and test facility.

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

The position holder is responsible for engineering execution management, configuration control, and agile cadence enablement across payload development spanning hardware, software, system engineering and manufacturing.

This role sits at the intersection of systems engineering, configuration management, and agile delivery, ensuring that payload teams can move fast without losing technical coherence, traceability, or review discipline.

The Technical Programme Manager is the go-to operational and tooling focal point for the payload engineering organization, enabling engineers and managers to focus on technical content while ensuring processes, tools, and reviews operate smoothly and predictably.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES / KEY RESULT AREAS

System Engineering Management Office

• Act as the Payload System Engineering Management Office, supporting the Payload Architecture & Engineering Manager and subsystem leads.
• Enforce payload-level engineering process discipline while adapting it to agile hardware development realities.
• Ensure technical coherence across payload, systems, hardware, software, and manufacturing by maintaining clear decision flow, preserving alignment, and preventing architectural drift throughout program execution.

Configuration & Change Management

• Guardian of payload configuration control, including:
• Drawings and technical documentation
• Payload and subsystem eBoMs
• Test procedures
• Software / firmware configuration and versioning
• Manage engineering change processes (ECRs / ECOs), ensuring impact assessment, approvals, traceability, and timely implementation.

Design Review & Decision Flow Management

• Manage the payload system and subsystem design review flow, including:
• DCR, PDR, CDR planning and scheduling
• Review material readiness and entry/exit criteria
• Chairing or facilitating review logistics and governance
• Track Action Items (AIs) from reviews and technical boards, ensuring ownership, progress tracking, and closure.
• Drive review readiness by closing gaps early between plan, progress, and maturity. 
• Maintain visibility of deliverables, dependencies, ownership, and critical paths.

Agile Execution Enablement (Hardware-Oriented)

• Own and administer the Azure DevOps (ADO) environment for payload agile development.
• Structure ADO to support hybrid agile / systems engineering workflows, including backlogs, epics, features, and traceability to requirements.
• Facilitate system-level and subsystem-level sprint execution.
• Coach agile Product Owners and technical leads in:
• Sprint planning and backlog management
• Sprint reviews and retrospectives
• Balancing short-cycle deliveries with long-lead hardware constraints
• Act as the guardian against “cargo‑cult agile”, tailoring practices to program reality. 

Engineering Team Enablement & Infrastructure

• Act as the primary operational focal point for payload engineering team needs, including:
• Engineering tools (requirements tools, MBSE, simulation environments, version control)
• Engineering IT infrastructure and access
• Process improvements and tooling optimizations
• Identify friction points in engineering execution and proactively drive practical improvements.
• Support the team in understanding and navigating internal organizational processes like procurement, logistics, IT and others
• Coordinate and follow up with relevant internal stakeholders on operational matters such as shipments, vendor onboarding, and IT support.

Cross‑Team Coordination & Risk Management 

• Connect teams into a single execution agile system, clarifying ownership where gaps appear. 
• Resolve friction at interfaces and boundaries. 
• Maintain a realistic view of execution health, risks, and sensitivities. 

Qualifications & Compentencies

• University Degree in either Telecom, IT or Satellite Engineering
• Minimum 8 years of Experience in satellite payload, spacecraft, or aerospace programs.
• Experience configuring and operating Azure DevOps (or equivalent) for engineering teams.
• Background working with multidisciplinary teams (HW, SW, RF, systems, verification).

Soft Skills & Mindset

• Strong organizational and facilitation skills with a service-oriented mindset.
• Ability to enforce discipline without becoming process-heavy.
• Comfortable working with senior technical leaders while supporting hands-on engineers.
• Excellent communication, follow-up, and execution rigor.

Mindset & Values

• Pragmatic agility: adapts agile principles to real hardware constraints
• Enabler mindset: removes friction so engineers can focus on engineering
• Calm under complexity: brings structure to fast-moving, high-stakes environments

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS / COMMENTS

• The candidate must be eligible for a “SECRET” security clearance, in accordance with the national regulations as well as EU/ESA/NATO equivalents
• Willing to work at least 60% onsite from office
• Travel as required for project realization purposes