R&D and Innovation Manager (m/w/d), Space & Defense Industry

Infinite Orbits GmbH is the German subsidiary of Infinite Orbits SAS, a NewSpace company founded in 2017 that now has more than 200 employees, with locations including Luxembourg, the UK, Spain, and Singapore.

The company develops in-orbit servicing solutions built on its own autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) technology, spanning awareness, surveillance, inspection, and protection of space assets through to life extension.

With its newly established Munich site, Infinite Orbits builds a dedicated local presence in Germany, developing capabilities in business development, R&D, product development, system engineering, production, and mission operations to enable Europe's defense and space sector.

Tasks

As R&D and Innovation Manager, you own Infinite Orbits Germany's research and innovation agenda in sensing and autonomy technologies, spanning RF, optical, and robotics hardware as well as the data postprocessing and object detection software that turns their output into mission value. We are hiring two R&D and Innovation Managers with complementary profiles: one with a focus on robotics and GNC, and one with a focus on sensing (RF and optical) and data processing.

Beyond driving R&D in Germany, you help push product development for the wider Infinite Orbits Group, feeding German engineering excellence and technology access directly into the Group's product roadmap. You identify technology opportunities relevant to the German and European market, build the company's university and research-institution network, and secure non-dilutive funding to support technology maturation. You are a primary driver of Infinite Orbits' presence in the German innovation ecosystem, working closely with the engineering team to align research priorities with the company's technical roadmap and with Group entities to leverage existing technology developments.

R&D agenda ownership: Define and drive the German R&D roadmap across sensing and autonomy technologies (RF, optical, robotics, data postprocessing, and object detection), identifying gaps and opportunities that strengthen Infinite Orbits' competitive and technical positioning.

• Group product development contribution: Feed German technology developments, research partnerships, and engineering excellence into the wider Infinite Orbits Group's product roadmap, ensuring German innovation strengthens the Group's overall offering.
• University & research…