ILS Manager (Programmes)

Job description

**Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability** At **Hypersonica**, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast. By joining **Hypersonica**, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously. We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence. ### What you'll do - Own the Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) workstream - spanning LSA, maintenance planning, provisioning/spares optimization, technical publications, training needs analysis, and obsolescence management - end-to-end for a programme or major workstream cluster, building plans and milestones from scratch. - Work directly with engineering to ensure supportability and maintainability considerations are fed into design decisions early, and manage logistics/support risk proactively rather than reactively. - Build and manage working-level customer relationships (including customer logistics and support authorities), translating customer requirements into ILS deliverables and programme outcomes. - Structure ILS-related bid and proposal content, and evaluate ILS subcontractors and suppliers (e.g. training providers, spares and technical publication suppliers) in depth, identifying new high-potential partners. - Build deep subject-matter expertise in ILS, including the customer's operational perspective on supportability, and use it to shape programme strategy, risk decisions, and lessons learned shared beyond your own team. - Establish and refine ILS processes, templates, and structures where none yet exist, acting as a guardian of efficiency and avoiding unnecessary process overhead. - Own and federate ILS knowledge and skills across the team, acting as the go-to reference for supportability and logistics questions and stepping into unowned problems within your scope rather than waiting for assignment. - Make sound decisions on supportability and logistics trade-offs under real ambiguity, judging which risks are acceptable to carry versus which must be escalated, and know when to pull in engineering, quality, or commercial expertise. ### Who you are - Typically, five or more years of relevantIntegrated Logistics Support within a defence, aerospace, or comparably regulated engineering environment, having structured and delivered an ILS workstream or small programme end-to-end. - Working knowledge of core ILS disciplines - LSA, maintenance/RCM planning, provisioning and spares optimization, technical publications, training needs analysis, and obsolescence management - and familiarity with relevant standards as applicable to defence programmes. - A background in engineering, logistics, materiel management, or a similarly relevant discipline, giving genuine fluency with technical and supportability content. - Comfortable building processes and structures where none exist yet, with a bias toward lean, fit-for-purpose practice over importing heavy process for its own sake. - Confident operating independently with customers and subcontractors, and credible contributing to commercial content such as bids, statements of work, and subcontractor evaluation. - Sound judgment under ambiguity: able to weigh supportability, cost, and schedule trade-offs, prioritize across competing demands, and recognize the limits of your own expertise. - Fluent in English; German fluency desirable given our bilingual working environment, though not required for this specialist discipline. ### What we offer - A mission-driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security. - Daily collaboration with leading experts across engineering, operations, business development, and defence, with genuine opportunities to learn, contribute, and grow. - Exposure to the full lifecycle of complex defence programmes, from customer requirements and commercial strategy through to engineering delivery and flight testing. - High ownership and autonomy: no time tracking and no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes. - A fast-paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly and feedback from testing and flight drives real decisions. - A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly. - Competitive compensation and real share options aligned with responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.