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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Vacuum Thruster Test Bench Team Leader - **Company:** The Exploration Company - **Location:** Bordeaux, France - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Failure Mode Effects Analysis, Software Requirements Analysis, Safety Critical Systems - **Published:** June 10, 2026 - **Apply:** https://fr.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=ec0eb39a7d32d63f ## About the Role Do you have experience in Team management?, * Degree in aerospace, propulsion system, mechanical, chemical engineering, or a related discipline. * 5+ years of hands-on experience with propulsion test benches, preferably with storable/legacy propellants. * Strong background in fluid systems, pressurized systems, and ground support equipment. * Demonstrated experience delivering complex engineering facilities from concept to commissioning. * Knowledge of safety-critical systems, industrial automation, and test operations. * Experience with site qualification, permitting, or regulated industrial environments. * Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders. * Experience in vacuum test facility design and operation * Experience with team management would be a plus ## Description As a Thruster Test Bench Team Leader, you will lead the end-to-end development of a propulsion test facility for legacy propellants (e.g., MON-class oxidizers and MMH-type fuels), from requirements definition through commissioning and operating the test facility. You will be manage the team that develops, commissions and operates the test facility. This position requires technical excellence and expertise as well as team management skills., Design of Test Facility * Develop a vacuum hot fire test facility which will be used to develop and qualify orbital thrusters * Capture and define system-level requirements for a chemical propulsion test bench supporting 100-800 N thrusters. * Define performance envelopes, safety objectives, operability constraints, and verification methods. * Translate propulsion test needs into facility, utilities, and ground support equipment requirements * Define instrumentation, data acquisition, and control systems for safe hot-fire testing. * Interface effectively with internal engineering/design teams, customers, and external partners. Assembly & Integration of Test Facility * Define the schedule and conditions of the bench integration. Define the tests to be performed all along the project, to mitigate the risks to find issues during commissionning. * Manage suppliers and internal manufacturing activities; oversee integration and verification. * Plan and execute commissioning, acceptance testing, and entry-into-service activities. Safety & Operation of Test Facility * Lead hazard analyses (FMEA, HAZOP, risk assessments) and implement mitigation measures. * Develop procedures for handling, testing, maintenance, and emergency response. * Validate redlines and abort sequences for different failure cases * Integration of thruster into test bench * Lead operations of test facility and perform hot fire, cold flows, decontamination and maintenance activities. It's possible that at one point, the operations would be handover to another testing team and then insure a smooth and well documented handover if needed. Leadership / Team management * As a Team Leader we expect you to drive and support a small multidisciplinary team to design, procure, assemble, and install and commission the test bench. * You will manage the team tasks and priorities and partially HR/training and developpement topics ## Related Videos - [From Space to Software: Reliability Lessons 40 Years After Challenger](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100283-from-space-to-software-reliability-lessons-40-years-after-challenger) - [What Production Knows: Closing the Loop Between AI Agents and the Systems They Build](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100277-what-production-knows-closing-the-loop-between-ai-agents-and-the-systems-they-build) - [Developing an AI.SDK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/198-developing-an-ai-sdk) - [From Vibe Coding to Viable Code with Spec-Driven Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100216-from-vibe-coding-to-viable-code-with-spec-driven-development) - [Building a hypercar from scratch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/607-building-a-hypercar-from-scratch) - [For the Cars and the Curious: Android Drift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/499-for-the-cars-and-the-curious-android-drift) ## Related Articles - [How We Built a Worry-Free System That Runs for 10+ Years – And What We’d Do Again](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/751-how-we-built-a-worry-free-system-that-runs-for-10-years-and-what-we-d-do-again) - [From developer to manager – what does it take to become an engineering manager?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/42-from-developer-to-manager-what-does-it-take-to-become-an-engineering-manager) - [Résumé-Driven Development: How IT trends affect the job market for software developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/59-resume-driven-development-how-it-trends-affect-the-job-market-for-software-developers) - [Where To Find Software Engineering Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/396-where-to-find-software-engineering-jobs) - [Where to Find Entry-Level Software Engineering Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/397-where-to-find-entry-level-software-engineering-jobs) - [Should Tech Managers Be Developers First? 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