Product and Quality Assurance Manager

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run.

We want you as a talented PA/QA (Product and Quality Assurance) Engineer to help us in our mission by being responsible of the PA/QA activities for our Future Projects that prepare the future growth of the Nyx vehicles family. These future projects focus on early phases of the development and cover a wide range of vehicles, including launch systems, lunar landers and LEO servicers.

You will be part of the Future Systems team, reporting to the Principal Engineer of the project and working closely with the other engineering disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

As the Product Assurance Engineer, you will hold a critical role in shaping the quality and reliability foundation of our future space systems, influencing the design, engineering, and risk strategies of our most innovative and ambitious projects. Although focused on early phases (up to Phase B1), our projects often include hardware procurement, breadboarding, prototyping, and preliminary testing activities. As such, you will also be responsible for ensuring product integrity, quality compliance, and risk mitigation from concept through early hardware implementation. Your role will be continuously evolving, but day-to-day your duties will include:

Product & Quality Assurance Leadership

• Define and implement a tailored PA/QA strategy for early-phase space system studies and technology maturation programs, ensuring alignment with ECSS standards and customer-specific requirements.
• Lead PA/QA activities across the product lifecycle from concept design to early testing, including the definition of quality gates and key assurance milestones.
  
  

Requirements Definition & Compliance

• Derive, tailor, and manage PA, QA, RAMS, and EEE requirements for conceptual and preliminary designs, ensuring traceability to system-level objectives and regulatory frameworks.
• Evaluate compliance with ECSS-Q standards and customer contract requirements, including preparation of compliance matrices and verification plans.
  
  

Risk Management & Design Assurance

• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments (FMECA, FTA), and non-conformance reviews to ensure quality risks are captured early and properly mitigated.
• Influence system design and technology choices from a product integrity and qualification perspective.
  
  

Hardware Assurance & Quality Oversight

• Support the definition and application of quality assurance processes for hardware components, including procurement, assembly, inspection, and verification.
• Review and approve material and process selection, EEE components, and supplier documentation.
• Monitor and assess quality during prototype production and testing, including quality inspection points, test witnessing, and data review.
  
  

Supplier & Subcontractor Quality Interface

• Interface with hardware suppliers and subcontractors to ensure quality requirements are understood and fulfilled.
• Conduct or support supplier audits, MRRs, TRRs, and incoming inspection of delivered items where applicable.
  
  

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Prepare and maintain high-quality PA/QA documentation: PA plans, quality assurance procedures, NCRs, DRLs, risk registers, and lessons learned.
• Contribute to the refinement of PA/QA processes and tools for early-phase development, incorporating best practices and feedback from ongoing programs.
  
  

What We Would Love To See From You

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, industrialization engineering or a related field.
• 3–5+ years of experience in Product Assurance and/or Quality Assurance in the space or aerospace sector
• Involvement in ESA Phase 0/A/B1 studies with tangible hardware outputs (e.g., breadboards, mock-ups, structural/thermal test models)
• Solid knowledge of EN 9100, ISO 9001, and ECSS and other aerospace industry PA/QA standards.
• Experience in managing quality aspects of rapid prototyping or technology demonstrator programs
• Familiarity with agile development methods and how they integrate with traditional PA/QA frameworks
• Familiarity with RAMS analysis, FMECA, and risk management methodologies.
• Experience auditing or qualifying suppliers in the space or high-reliability industry.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills, with the ability to engage with customers, suppliers, and internal teams.
• Fluent in English; additional languages (especially French, German, or Italian) are a plus.
  
  

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

• We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind
• We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them
• We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?
  
  

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.