Product Assurance Engineer

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. We are seeking an experienced Software Product Assurance Engineer to manage the quality of our space projects from a software perspective. This role is integral to the Software team, ensuring that our software products meet the highest standards of reliability, performance, and compliance with contractual requirements. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES As a Software Product Assurance (SW PA) Engineer, you will hold a crucial position within the Software Team. You will serve as the SW quality focal point for space projects, with a primary focus on the Nyx Earth project. Your duties will encompass a wide range of responsibilities, including but not limited to: * Establishing and maintaining the project's SW PA&S requirements baseline in compliance with applicable NASA/ESA requirements and best market practices. * Developing and implementing a SW Quality Assurance Program in accordance with NASA-STD-8739.8, intended to cover the SW quality activities across all the project lifecycle phases. * Developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing SW QA plans. * Conducting independent evaluations of software development processes to ensure compliance with organizational standards and safety requirements. * Participating in the analysis and evaluation of software design, including change impact analysis and regression testing, particularly for COTS software. * Overseeing and participating in verification and validation (V&V) activities according to a defined V&V plan, ensuring traceability of all requirements and exclusion of unauthorized functions. * Supporting Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) activities, working in coordination with IV&V personnel to mitigate software risks and enhance safety and quality. * Managing SW nonconformities, deviations, alerts, and assessing their impact. * Contributing to the risk management process and managing SW Critical Items. * Managing and applying SW lessons learned. * Planning, conducting and following up on project SW audits. * Overseeing configuration management processes to ensure alignment with approved plans, including identification, status accounting, change control, verification, and delivery. * Ensuring software reliability and maintainability requirements are met and traceable to system requirements. * Conducting software trade studies to ensure consideration of safety, reliability, maintainability, and quality assurance requirements. * Supporting HSIA analysis. * Overseeing SW integration with hardware. WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM YOU In the role of SW Product Assurance Engineer ideally, you will have the following: * A bachelor in engineering or technical sciences * Experience in software assurance, quality assurance, or a related field, particularly within aerospace, aviation or defense industries. * Strong analytical skills and experience with software lifecycle evaluation, configuration management, and V&V activities. * Programming Languages: Proficiency in C/C++ and Python for software development and scripting tasks. * Proficiency in managing non-conformances and corrective actions. * Excellent communication skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a multidisciplinary team. * Ability to conduct rigorous audits, evaluations, and reviews. * Detail and solution-oriented mindset with a strong ability to work independently, * Demonstrated ability to thrive in a team environment while exhibiting strong leadership skills, * Working fluency in English. Additional assets: * Familiarity with NASA software assurance standards and requirements, especially NASA-STD-8739.8 and NASA-GB-8719.13 * Version Control Systems: Expertise in using Git for source code management. Familiarity with GitHub or GitLab for code sharing, issue tracking, collaboration, and version tracking. * Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Experience with CI/CD pipelines to automate testing and deployment of software updates. Familiarity with tools like Jenkins or GitLab CI. * Software Testing: Knowledge of software testing frameworks and automated testing tools (e.g. googletest, gmock). * Static Code Analysis: Experience with tools like SonarQube or Coverity analyze code quality. Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:   * We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind  * We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them   * We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?   We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.    The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.   All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible. If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.

YOUR (SPACE) MISSION As the Product Assurance Process Engineer at cosine you help shape the Product Assurance and Quality Assurance framework that enables the successful development and delivery of advanced space systems and instrumentation. Drawing on your experience with institutional space programmes, you contribute to the development and implementation of policies, processes, and working methods that allow our engineering teams to operate efficiently while meeting the stringent requirements of customers such as ESA and Ministries of Defence. This is a unique opportunity to help build and improve a Product Assurance framework that supports cosine's future growth in the institutional space sector and helps ensure that our products are accepted, qualified, and delivered as efficiently as possible. Your official job title will be PA/QA Engineer. TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES In this role you will: * Develop, implement, maintain, and improve Product Assurance and Quality Assurance policies, processes, and working methods across cosine's space activities * Support compliance with ESA, ECSS, customer, and regulatory requirements throughout the product development lifecycle * Work closely with scientists, engineers, and project teams to promote the adoption of Product Assurance and Quality Assurance best practice * Advise management and engineering teams on Product Assurance, Quality Assurance, and compliance-related matter * Support audits, reviews, non-conformance processes, risk management activities, and continuous improvement initiatives YOUR PROFILE We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications: * Experience in Product Assurance, Quality Assurance, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline within the space sector * Knowledge of ECSS standards and institutional space programmes * Experience developing, implementing, or improving engineering, quality, or product assurance processes within a regulated environment * Strong communication and stakeholder management skills * A pragmatic and solution-oriented mindset, capable of balancing compliance requirements with project realities * The ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and influence colleagues without formal authority WHAT WE OFFER At cosine, we highly value our employees, and we will support your professional and personal development. We also provide our employees with: * A unique, international working environment at the intersection of physics and engineering  * The opportunity to deliver end-to-end solutions in autonomous project teams, in close collaboration with customers * A competitive salary * 27 days of annual leave (based on full-time employment)  * Hybrid working options, including the possibility to work partially from home  * Company bicycle- and fitness plan * A personal development budget * Initial one-year contract, with the aim of long-term collaboration ABOUT COSINE Founded in 1998, cosine is a world-leading developer of space instrumentation and measurement systems, making the invisible measurable and the complex actionable. Its expertise spans High-Energy Optics, including optics developed for ESA's future NewAthena X-ray observatory, as well as remote sensing solutions for Earth Observation and planetary science. With over 25 years of experience and advanced cleanroom and assembly facilities across the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, cosine brings deep scientific and engineering expertise to some of the most demanding missions in space and on Earth. What makes cosine a unique place to work is that your work goes end-to-end: from concept and design to building, testing, and delivering hardware that actually flies in space. You work in small, highly skilled teams where you have real ownership and impact, alongside experts in optics, physics, nanofabrication, and systems engineering.  cosine is committed to providing an inclusive and equal opportunities work environment where everyone can thrive. As a proud member of the Women in Aerospace community, we recognise the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in the workplace.