Programme Manager – Space & Institutional Programmes

Location: Finland

Our client is an innovative European space technology company developing advanced Earth observation and data intelligence solutions that help organisations make smarter, more sustainable decisions. Combining cutting-edge satellite technologies, AI-driven analytics, and proprietary data platforms, they are delivering actionable insights across environmental monitoring, security, infrastructure, resource management, and sustainability applications.

As the organisation continues to grow, we are supporting the search for an experienced Programme Manager to lead a portfolio of complex international programmes involving institutional customers, industrial partners, research organisations, and commercial stakeholders.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who thrives in a dynamic, deep-tech environment and enjoys managing multidisciplinary technical programmes from proposal through to successful delivery.

Opportunity

As Programme Manager, you will be responsible for the planning, governance, coordination, and execution of strategic programmes across the business. Working closely with engineering, operations, product, commercial, and leadership teams, you will ensure key initiatives are delivered successfully while maintaining alignment with customer expectations, contractual obligations, and company objectives.

A strong understanding of European institutional programmes, particularly those involving the European Space Agency (ESA), will be highly beneficial. Experience working with European Commission initiatives, Horizon Europe programmes, EUSPA, NATO, EDA, or other government-funded projects would also be advantageous.

This position can be based in Finland or performed remotely from within Europe, with occasional travel required for customer meetings, consortium activities, and industry events.

Key Responsibilities

Programme & Portfolio Management

• Lead the delivery of complex international programmes involving industrial, institutional, commercial, and research stakeholders.

• Define programme scope, objectives, milestones, budgets, schedules, resource requirements, and risk mitigation strategies.

• Monitor programme performance and provide clear visibility of progress, priorities, dependencies, and key decision points.

• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful delivery of technical, operational, and commercial objectives.

• Support proposal preparation, bid management, work package definition, budgeting, and programme mobilisation activities.

• Drive continuous improvement of programme management processes, governance frameworks, and delivery methodologies.

• Contribute to strategic planning and prioritisation of future business and institutional opportunities.

• Support the development and mentoring of programme and project management capabilities across the organisation.

Stakeholder & Consortium Management

• Act as the primary interface between customers, consortium partners, institutional stakeholders, and internal teams.

• Facilitate programme reviews, governance meetings, reporting activities, and executive-level communications.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders while proactively managing risks and programme challenges.

• Support engagement with funding bodies and strategic partners to help position the organisation for future opportunities.

Financial & Contractual Management

• Monitor programme financial performance and ensure alignment between technical execution, budgets, and contractual commitments.

• Coordinate contractual deliverables, reporting requirements, audits, reviews, and compliance activities.

• Support commercial discussions and programme governance throughout the project lifecycle.

Required Experience

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Science, Space Technologies, Business, or a related discipline.

• Significant experience in Programme or Project Management within complex technical or engineering-led environments.

• Strong understanding of institutional or government-funded programmes, ideally including ESA projects.

• Experience coordinating multinational consortiums involving industrial, commercial, academic, and research partners.

• Proven track record in proposal preparation, bid management, budgeting, resource planning, and contractual delivery.

• Strong knowledge of programme governance, scheduling, financial management, reporting, and risk management.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, capable of operating across technical, commercial, and executive audiences.

• Ability to understand and coordinate multidisciplinary technical teams across engineering, software, operations, data, and product functions.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.

• Proactive, solutions-focused, and delivery-oriented mindset.

• Fluent English language skills.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within the space, aerospace, defence, Earth observation, satellite systems, or wider deep-tech sectors.

• Exposure to European Commission, Horizon Europe, EUSPA, ESA, NATO, EDA, or other institutional programmes.

• Familiarity with satellite development lifecycles, mission delivery, systems engineering, or operational readiness activities.

• Professional certifications such as PMP, PRINCE2, Agile, MSP, or equivalent.

What’s on Offer?

• The opportunity to shape innovative space programmes with real-world impact.

• Flexible remote working arrangements within Europe.

• Exposure to cutting-edge satellite, AI, and data-driven technologies.

• A collaborative and highly skilled international team environment.

• Significant opportunities for professional growth and leadership development.

• Competitive salary and benefits package.

• The chance to contribute to technologies helping address some of today’s most important environmental, sustainability, and security challenges.

If you are an experienced Programme Manager looking to play a key role within an ambitious and fast-growing space technology organisation, we would be delighted to hear from you.