Orbital Vehicle System Engineer

MaiaSpace is a European space tech company, designing, manufacturing and operating competitive and sustainable solutions for space mobility. We are driven by the belief that access to space is a major enabler for a better and more sustainable life on Earth, addressing the challenges faced by humanity: climate, resources, connectivity, and data. Our aim is to successfully design and test a cost-effective and reusable mini-launch vehicle by 2026 but not only. We are also developing an orbital vehicle, an evolution of our kickstage that will provide in space services as inspection and active debris removal. Since day one MaiaSpace had the willingness to be the first end to end space mobility company that will remove debris after satellite injections. Our long term vision: Each time we fly, we clean. 

For European institutional actors such as CNES, ESA or European Commission, active debris removal is now a must to avoid Kessler syndrome. Several deorbitation anchor missions has been revealed in the last months by ESA such as CAT (Copernicus deorbitation) and ERASE (Metop deorbitation). The complexity of such missions is tremendous, we need the best talents to face these challenges and make our vision of a sustainable space possible.

Orbital Vehicle System Engineer  

We are looking for a system engineer to join one of our agile multi-disciplinary teams in charge of the development of MaiaSpace Colibri orbital vehicle. Colibri orbital vehicle has different roles. 

• It will first play a kickstage role (launcher third stage) enhancing MaiaSpace performance and injection flexibility. 

• Secondly, additional functionalities will be added to the vehicle to address multi plan constellations deployments and in orbit services opportunities from which active debris removal is one of our main targets. This vehicle is at the crossroad between a launcher and a satellite. We need you here! 

As part of the Colibri team, your main missions and responsibilities will consist of : 

• Performing functional analysis, system trade-offs, CONOPS definition, design synthesis, and architecture down-selection based on mission requirements, performance, and risk. 

• Leading the definition of the end-to-end preliminary architecture, including structures, power, thermal, propulsion, avionics, attitude control, and data handling. 

• Collaborating with subsystem leads to ensure proper integration and mutual compatibility of all platform elements. 

• Participating to Colibri vehicles incremental development roadmap definition, including ground and flight demonstrations. At MaiaSpace we will have the opportunity to learn by flying. Indeed, Colibri kickstage will fly regularly, between 5 and 10 times a year from 2027. 

• Identifying and evaluate new technologies for platform evolution 

• Participating to short-term hiring plan definition.  

• Fostering strategic technology partnerships 

• Participating to discussions with customers

🎓 Qualification:

We are looking for candidates with the following experience and skills: 

• Aeronautics & Space engineering degree (+5 years post-Baccalaureate) with at least 10 years of experience. 

• Spacecraft system engineering experience 

• Very Strong experience in at least one of these fields: satellite mechanical and thermal architecture, robotics, Guidance Navigation and control, Attitude and Orbit Control System, Visual based navigation, Operations, orbital mechanics. 

• Ability to work as part of a team and flexibly with regard to a start-up environment. 

• Autonomy, rigor, good interpersonal and communication skills, proactive problem-solving attitude, 

• Ability to work quickly, be "solutions-oriented" and propose disruptive ideas.

  
  

🎬 Working at MaiaSpace

You will be joining a friendly multi-disciplinary team, comprised of multi-skilled people, following Agile and Scrum methodologies. This means that your role and responsibility may evolve over time with varied assignments and challenges depending on priorities and competences. Your work will be hands-on and in close contact with the final product. We are open-minded, transparent, pragmatic, result oriented and people centric. Teamwork is at the heart of how we work together and our co-workers share the same fundamental values: respect, humility, reactivity and autonomy with a passion for technical excellence. Our newly acquired office space at La Defense is located within the heart of Europe’s largest purpose built business and commercial district with easy access to public transport. 

Written and spoken communication is in French and English.