Senior Manager - Product System Engineering

Overview:

Space42 (ADX: SPACE42) is a UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company that integrates satellite communications, geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities to enlighten the Earth from space. Established in 2024 following the successful merger between Bayanat and Yahsat, Space42’s global reach allows it to address the rapidly evolving needs of its customers in governments, enterprises, and communities. 

Our vision is to pioneer beyond today for humanity to experience a better tomorrow. Space42 challenges traditional approaches with advanced AI and cutting-edge satellite technology, making space more accessible and redefining how data from space can be used on Earth. We aim to achieve this by connecting people to rewire potential, informing decisions to reimagine impact and enabling action to redefine tomorrow. 

For more information visit: www.space42.ai, follow us on X and Instagram @Space42ai

Role Purpose

Within the Product and System Engineering function, the Senior Manager leads the efforts to identify high-impact Satcom technologies and work on the development of solutions aligning with Space42’s strategic goals.

With a very solid technical knowledge and strong leadership, he/she oversees various technology assessments, engage with technology providers and define plans to source and/or develop and field the new technologies through projects and partnerships. He/She contributes to the new solutions delivery through design, integration, testing and acceptance.

He/She works closely with the other company’s departments (Strategy, Commercial, Finance, Operations)  to ensure the solutions are driving business growth and aligning with company policies and strategy, performance targets and customer requirements

Responsibilities:

• Lead the engagement with high-impact and emerging technology providers.
• With other departments, he assesses and projects and initiatives costing and manages the associated risks and contribute to define business plans and operating models for new technology development and partnership.
• Contribute to the definition and negotiation of the terms for technology acquisition, development and partnership with third parties.
• Leads a small engineering team and ensures the team skills and knowledge stay aligned with the industry trends and new relevant technologies.
• Ensure engineering standards and processes are implemented correctly. Applies to system design and requirements, equipment specifications, product evaluations, link analysis, acceptance testing and deliverable documentation.
• Lead the projects and initiatives and ensure delivery as per specifications, on schedule, within budget.
• Manage customers and suppliers efficiently. Manage customer satisfaction and drive suppliers engagement, to ensure successful deliveries.
• Create the Internal team coordination governance and streamline the processes.  Assuring accountability and processes-based approach minimizing employees-based risk
• Supporting Commercial Team in proposing and validating delivery programs that the commercial team will be committing to in building proposals mitigating all technical and programmatic risks.  Including but not limited to Creating, revising and negotiating “Statement of Work” and “Service Level Agreements” documents between Space42 and Customers/Suppliers to assure that Space42 delivers the required delivery and O&M services
• Ensuring projects are properly handed over to O&M team. This may include training, O&M manuals, test reports, drawings, and licenses, equip and spares inventory etc.
• Contributes to Space42’s technology roadmap in coordination with engineering that makes sure Space42 keeps introducing latest technologies, retires obsolete systems, SATCOM and IT support systems and technologies, and builds needed resources to achieve certain capabilities upgrades, service enhancements, and process improvement initiatives. Mentor junior staff and engineer and assure department continuity

Qualifications:

• Master’s in engineering or equivalent.  Telecommunications and Electrical are a plus (a leadership or business degree would be considered a plus)
• 8-10 years of relevant experience in Satellite/telecoms industry and similar functions. 
• Military Satcom and defense industry experience is a plus.
• PMP, ITIL, Prince 2 certification is a plus.

Technical Requirements

• The candidate must demonstrate expert-level expertise in satellite communications and operations, in fields such as payload and subsystem technologies, RF engineering (including link budget analysis), Satellite network management and ground segment design and deployment, military-grade satellite terminals, Satellite system testing and integration.
• They must have advanced proficiency in systems engineering and satellite product development and have experience in the development of major satellite system programs (Detailed design phase, testing, integration, transition to Operations)
• They must also bring strong experience in project management, team management, staff development, budgeting, risk management with a track record in managing complex projects/work packages in the Satellite/Telecoms domain.