Our client is a fast-growing German space technology company specialising in satellite imagery, geospatial intelligence and AI-powered analytics. With an international presence and a growing portfolio of defence and government projects, the company is entering an important phase of expansion within the European defence and security sector.
As the company scales its defence and intelligence activities, it is looking for an experienced Senior Product Manager with a strong operational background in ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance), GEOINT or IMINT to lead the development and delivery of advanced intelligence solutions.
You will play a key role in turning sophisticated satellite imagery and AI capabilities into operational products used by defence and intelligence organisations.
Working at the intersection of defence operations, satellite technology and software product development, you will take ownership of the product roadmap, translate real-world military requirements into actionable engineering priorities and drive solutions from early demonstrations through to operational deployment.
The successful candidate will work closely with military end users, intelligence stakeholders, engineering teams and commercial leadership, ensuring that the company’s technology addresses real operational challenges and can be deployed effectively in secure defence environments.
Responsibilities
- Own the product strategy, roadmap and delivery of advanced ISR and geospatial intelligence solutions for defence and government customers.
- Lead the evolution of satellite imagery intelligence applications from demonstrators and prototypes into operationally deployable products.
- Translate military operational requirements and intelligence workflows into clear product specifications, user stories and engineering priorities.
- Serve as the internal subject-matter expert on ISR, GEOINT, IMINT and intelligence workflows, ensuring products reflect how military and intelligence analysts operate.
- Manage and prioritise the product backlog, working closely with software engineers, AI/ML specialists and geospatial data teams.
- Define product releases, deployment requirements and delivery priorities while balancing operational needs, technical feasibility and customer commitments.
- Coordinate defence and government projects end to end, including scope, milestones, deliverables and stakeholder communication.
- Develop and maintain a product roadmap aligned with customer requirements, operational concepts and technology readiness.
- Engage directly with Bundeswehr, defence organisations, intelligence stakeholders and operational end users to identify needs and validate product capabilities.
- Lead customer workshops, requirements-gathering sessions, product demonstrations and user testing.
- Support business development, tenders and strategic proposals by contributing operational expertise and helping position the company’s technology around mission-critical use cases.
- Work closely with Product, Engineering, Sales and senior leadership to align product development with commercial opportunities and long-term defence programmes.
- Contribute to the deployment of solutions within secure on-premise and air-gapped environments.
- Willingness to travel across Germany to meet customers and operational stakeholders.
Profile
- Professional experience in ISR, GEOINT, IMINT or military intelligence is mandatory, gained within the Bundeswehr, intelligence services, defence organisations or the defence technology industry.
- Strong understanding of the military intelligence cycle, including intelligence collection, tasking, imagery exploitation, analysis and dissemination.
- Practical knowledge of how intelligence analysts and military staff use imagery and geospatial intelligence products in operational environments.
- Proven ability to translate operational requirements into structured technical or product requirements that engineering teams can implement.
- Experience coordinating complex projects, managing dependencies and delivering outcomes within defined timelines.
- Ability to engage credibly with military personnel, intelligence professionals, technical teams and senior stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of defence operational concepts, mission requirements and end-user workflows.
- Comfortable working with technical teams developing software, geospatial analytics or AI-enabled solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to take ownership, prioritise competing requirements and make pragmatic decisions.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to bridge operational, technical and commercial stakeholders.
- Experience working in complex environments where requirements evolve and multiple stakeholders influence product priorities.
- German at native or fluent level, with professional proficiency in English.
- German or European citizenship and eligibility to obtain German security clearance (Sicherheitsüberprüfung).
Nice to Have
- Previous experience in Product Management or Product Ownership, including backlog management, sprint planning, release scoping and product roadmaps.
- Experience managing defence projects or publicly funded programmes, including national, EU or NATO initiatives.
- Experience developing CONOPS (Concept of Operations), operational requirements or military capability documents.
- Familiarity with satellite imagery, Earth Observation, remote sensing or geospatial analytics.
- Understanding of AI and machine learning applications in intelligence analysis, including object detection, change detection and imagery exploitation.
- Experience delivering software solutions into secure on-premise, classified or air-gapped environments.
- Existing German security clearance (SÜ2 / SÜ3).
- Working knowledge of NATO standards, interoperability requirements and geospatial data formats.
- Familiarity with GIS tools, satellite imagery platforms or geospatial data processing workflows.
- Previous experience working within a technology company, startup, scale-up or innovative defence technology environment.
Why Join?
This is an opportunity to join a rapidly growing German space technology company at an important stage of its expansion within the defence and intelligence sector.
You will have significant ownership over the development of advanced ISR products with direct applications in real-world defence and intelligence operations, helping bring cutting-edge satellite imagery and AI technologies from development into operational use.
The role offers a rare opportunity to combine military and intelligence expertise with technology product leadership, working directly with defence end users while collaborating with highly specialised AI, software engineering and geospatial teams.
The environment combines the speed, autonomy and innovation of a technology scale-up with the opportunity to contribute to strategically important, long-term defence and government programmes.
The company offers flexible working arrangements, professional development opportunities and an attractive benefits package, alongside the chance to shape products at the intersection of space technology, artificial intelligence and national securi
