Darwin Recruitment are currently hiring for a Senior Product Assurance Engineer on behalf of a company in Germany that develop 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.
As part of their fast-growing company, they are looking for an experienced Product Assurance Engineer who will significantly shape the technical level and maturity of our products.
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 7 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.
Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
James Godfrey