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Recovery Operations Engineer, m & f & d at Isar Aerospace SE | Swiftcruit
Launch vehicle operationsRecovery and refurbishment conceptsGround support equipment (GSE)LogisticsCONOPS developmentLifecycle managementCost modeling
Company Location
Ottobrunn, Bayern, Deutschland
Remote Work Policy
Onsite
Mission Brief
As a Recovery Operations Engineer in the Reusability Program, you define and mature the CONOPS for post‑flight recovery, refurbishment, and return‑to‑flight of reusable launch vehicle elements. You enable safe, repeatable, and cost‑efficient reuse by embedding recovery and refurbishment considerations into vehicle design, ground operations, and long‑term fleet operability from the outset.
Your Role in Our Space Mission
Define and evolve recovery Concept of Operations (CONOPS), covering primary recovery scenarios as well as fallback scenarios, from landing through return‑to‑flight
Evaluate and down‑select launch sites, landing zones, and ranges with respect to recovery feasibility, safety, and operations
Specify and assess recovery ground support equipment (GSE), including cranes, transport frames, barges, and port infrastructure
Define refurbishment and recycle processes, including inspection flows, repair scope, turnaround timelines, and reuse limits
Drive maintainability and operability requirements into vehicle and system design
Support integration and payload processing concepts where recovery impacts launch‑site operations
Contribute to fleet and lifecycle management strategies, including inspection intervals and retirement criteria
Develop and maintain operational cost models, including recovery, refurbishment, infrastructure, and reuse cost functions, and support cost estimation and trade studies to inform architectural and program‑level decisions
Qualification Checklist
Education & Technical Background
Engineering education in aerospace, mechanical, civil, naval, industrial, or a closely related field, or equivalent senior industry experience
Technical background in launcher ground operations plus recovery and refurbishment concepts for reusable launch vehicle hardware
Proven knowledge of transport, handling, lifting, storage, inspection, and repair of large aerospace hardware and associated ground support equipment
Proven knowledge of large‑scale logistics and ground infrastructure as primary drivers of operability, cost, and turnaround time in a reusable launch vehicle fleet
Experience
5–10+ years in launch vehicle programs, recovery programs, or large‑scale aerospace hardware projects
Direct involvement in designing and evaluating end‑to‑end CONOPS, covering recovery logistics, ground support equipment, refurbishment, maintainability, and return‑to‑flight
Practical work with large ground support equipment and infrastructure, including recovery assets, lifting systems, transport solutions, hazardous substances supply systems and launch-site or port environments
Hands-on exposure to launch vehicle or aircraft refurbishment and post‑operation processing, including inspection strategies, repair scope definition, structural and systems assessments, and reuse or return‑to‑service considerations.
Demonstrated ability to assess how recovery and ground operations concepts drive launcher architecture, interfaces, access requirements, and design margins
Proven involvement in operational trade studies, addressing feasibility, cost drivers, turnaround time, and risk across alternative recovery and refurbishment approaches
Skills & Competencies
Ability to architect recovery and refurbishment CONOPS that are technically executable and scale with fleet growth
Strong judgement balancing launcher design, ground support equipment capability, logistics constraints, safety, cost, and schedule
Deep practical knowledge of ground support equipment-driven constraints and their impact on recovery methods and launcher interfaces
Clear command of maintainability and refurbishment drivers, including access, wear mechanisms, handling damage, and inspection effort
Capability to challenge launcher and ground design decisions based on operational realism rather than theoretical optimization
Structured decision‑making under uncertainty, grounded in experience with real hardware, infrastructure, and field operations
Fluent in English (German is a plus)
Benefits
Employee Participation Program: Share in our success through our virtual company share program
30 days of vacation: Enjoy the days off to relax and recharge
Company pension plan: Secure your future with our company pension plan, featuring a 20% employer contribution after the probation period
Subsidised lunch: Stay energised with delicious, subsidised lunches every day
Public transport ticket: Commute with ease using a fully financed Deutschlandticket
Sport Clubs membership: Stay fit with our sponsored sports club memberships (EGYM Wellpass)
Individual learning allowance: Grow your skills with an individual learning budget granted after the probation period
Childcare allowance: Receive a childcare allowance for your non-school-age children
And Much More! Discover additional perks and benefits when you join our team
Who we are
We are Isar Aerospace and we are at the forefront of New Space building a modern space business to enable faster, better and cheaper access to space.
Our mission is to help democratise space and use it for good in order to improve life on Earth now and for the future generations.
We are a fast-growing company aiming to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly launch solutions for small and medium-sized satellites and constellations into Low Earth Orbit. The company is privately funded by world-leading technology investors with strong commitment and support and our team is made of driven and talented people with a real passion for space innovation.
We're making rockets in a way that hasn't been done before disrupting a traditional industry. If you are up for the challenge, want to work on cutting-edge projects and be part of a team changing the world for better, come, join us and launch your career!
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Disclaimer
Isar Aerospace SE is an equal-opportunity employer committed to fairness and inclusivity. We do not prioritize any specific religion, gender, nationality, or background. Due to security clearance requirements, affiliations with countries listed under § 13 para. 1 no. 17 SÜG may affect the application process. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.
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