(Senior) Factory Planning & Design Engineer

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 - Define requirements and specifications for our production sites based on bill of material and bill of process. - Design optimized production plant layouts, considering value stream, cycle times, material flow and safety requirements - Work with cross-functional teams from manufacturing, EPC and design to gather requirements for the facility design from an architectural, utility and operations perspective. - Own and manage the interface between manufacturing engineering and factory design teams, ensuring transparent requirement and issue tracking, consistent progress, change management and handling escalations. - Supervise construction execution from an owners perspective for adherence to planning and timeline targets. Ensure readiness for equipment move-in and commissioning. - Supporting permitting processes, providing supporting documentation & descriptions with regards to the manufacturing site. - Help develop standards and best practices for future expansions and further European factory projects. ### Who you are - A (senior) industrial- or mechanical engineer with firsthand experience and solid expertise in designing factories and production systems. - Experienced working on complex, integrated manufacturing systems. Ideally in aerospace, defence, or other high‑performance, cross functional environments under intense time pressure. - Used to working with different engineering & design traits such as manufacturing engineering, architects, MEP design, permitting and authorities. - Managing partners and suppliers proficiently and effectively. Motivating everyone to go above and beyond to achieve common goals and timelines. - Dealing well with ambiguity and uncertainty, willing to anticipate, test and reconsider if necessary. - Strong engineering fundamentals covering layout engineering, line balancing, material flow systems and requirement engineering - Pragmatic and delivery‑focused, able to make sound engineering trade‑offs without over‑engineering - Comfortable collaborating across disciplines and acting as a technical integrator, not just a specialist. - Hands‑on by instinct, willing to support build, integration, and test when needed. - Calm and effective in ambiguous, fast‑moving environments where priorities evolve. - Motivated by building real, high‑consequence hardware where mechanical and system correctness truly matter. ### 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 top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow. - High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes. - A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test 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 to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.