Recovery Operations Engineer (Aerospace)

TL;DR

Recovery Operations Engineer (Aerospace): Defining and maturing the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for post-flight recovery, refurbishment, and return-to-flight of reusable launch vehicle elements. Focus on integrating recovery requirements into vehicle design, ground support equipment (GSE) specification, and lifecycle management to ensure cost-efficient and repeatable fleet operations.

Location: Must be based in Ottobrunn, Germany

Company

hirify.global is a fast-growing New Space company developing sustainable and environmentally friendly launch solutions for small and medium-sized satellites.

What you will do

• Define and evolve recovery CONOPS from landing through return-to-flight.
• Specify and assess recovery ground support equipment (GSE) and port infrastructure.
• Drive maintainability and operability requirements into vehicle and system design.
• Define refurbishment and recycle processes, including inspection flows and repair scope.
• Develop operational cost models to inform architectural and program-level decisions.
• Evaluate launch sites and landing zones for recovery feasibility and safety.

Requirements

• Engineering degree in aerospace, mechanical, civil, naval, or industrial fields.
• 5–10+ years of experience in launch vehicle programs or large-scale aerospace hardware projects.
• Proven knowledge of transport, handling, lifting, and inspection of large aerospace hardware.
• Practical experience with ground support equipment and infrastructure in launch-site or port environments.
• Fluent in English (German is a plus).
• Ability to pass security clearance requirements.

Nice to have

• Experience with launch vehicle or aircraft refurbishment and post-operation processing.
• Background in operational trade studies and cost estimation.

Culture & Benefits

• Employee participation program via virtual company shares.
• 30 days of annual vacation.
• Company pension plan with 20% employer contribution.
• Subsidised daily lunches and sponsored sports club memberships.
• Fully financed Deutschlandticket for public transport.
• Individual learning allowance after probation.