---
title: 'Lead Procurement In-House Engine development at The Exploration Company'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-procurement-in-house-engine-development-the-exploration-company-bordeaux-dmwhg1x0e1ns'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-16'
---

# Lead Procurement In-House Engine development at The Exploration Company

- **Company:** [The Exploration Company](https://feeny.ai/companies/the-exploration-company)
- **Location:** Bordeaux, France
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-10-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/the-exploration-company/78223c19-1b0f-4855-9629-32f151aecbd2

## Job description

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building spacecrafts for humanity. Reports to: Head of Procurement

## Role Overview

We are looking for a Lead In-house Development Procurement to lead procurement for TEC’s internally developed engines and assigned future programs. You will own procurement strategy and supplier delivery across Scirocco, Storm and the future-program perimeter. You will translate evolving engineering requirements into sourcing plans, robust contracts and supplier commitments that support development and testing milestones. You will build dedicated procurement capability for these programs while respecting TEC’s overall priority of delivering Nyx Earth.

## Key Responsibilities

Supplier and Contract Management

- Define sourcing strategies for development hardware, components and specialist services within the assigned programs.
- Identify and develop suppliers capable of meeting demanding technical requirements and evolving development schedules.
- Lead major negotiations and ensure contracts address scope, technical annexes, delivery milestones, acceptance, intellectual property and change management.
- Monitor supplier performance and lead recovery plans for critical delivery or technical issues.
- Assess supply risks, including single-source dependencies, capacity constraints and long-lead items.

Development Procurement

- Own procurement activities from early supplier engagement and RFQs through contract execution and delivery.
- Work with Engineering and program teams to establish clear procurement packages and realistic sourcing schedules.
- Ensure technical requirements and changes flow into supplier contracts with appropriate cost and schedule visibility.
- Support prototype builds, test campaigns and successive hardware iterations.
- Coordinate test hardware and test-stand requirements with the indirect procurement and DMP teams, assigning clear ownership for each package.
- Ensure procurement activity follows company sourcing, approval and quality requirements.

Strategic Leadership

- Maintain an integrated procurement plan for Scirocco, Storm and assigned future programs.
- Allocate team capacity according to approved program milestones and company priorities.
- Develop supplier capability for progression from development hardware toward repeatable manufacture.
- Identify opportunities to reuse suppliers, contractual approaches and purchasing experience across programs.
- Resolve resource and supplier conflicts with the Nyx procurement lead, escalating decisions that could affect Nyx delivery.

## Team Leadership and Collaboration

- Lead and develop the Principal Storm Procurement role and the procurement managers responsible for lunar lander and future-program activities.
- Delegate Storm procurement leadership to the Principal Storm Procurement, with the Storm Procurement Manager reporting through that role.
- Set clear accountability for supplier strategy, negotiations, execution and escalation.
- Work closely with Engineering, program leadership, Quality, Finance and the other procurement leads.
- Provide the Head of Procurement with a consolidated assessment of delivery risks, commercial exposure and required decisions.

## Qualifications

Education and Experience

- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Significant procurement experience supporting complex hardware development in aerospace, propulsion or a comparable engineering environment.
- Experience negotiating technically demanding development and manufacturing contracts.
- Demonstrated experience leading procurement teams and managing suppliers through changing requirements.
- Experience supporting prototype builds, testing or the transition from development into production.

## Skills

- Strong technical understanding and the ability to challenge incomplete or ambiguous requirements constructively.
- Advanced negotiation and commercial risk management skills.
- Ability to manage technical annexes, contractual flow-down and change-control exposure.
- Sound judgment when balancing development speed, cost, quality and delivery.
- Ability to develop senior procurement professionals and delegate meaningful ownership.
- Clear, concise communication of risks, options and recommendations.
- Experience developing engines or propulsion systems for Spacecraft is a strong plus

## Why Join Us

- Help deliver Nyx Earth and develop the capabilities behind TEC’s future vehicles and engines.
- Take ownership of a procurement function with a direct impact on company milestones.
- Lead and develop a team in a collaborative, international engineering environment.

Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

- We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind
- We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them
- We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.

## About The Exploration Company

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: The Exploration Company (TEC) is building a full-stack space transportation platform, including a reusable space capsule (Nyx) and a high-thrust rocket engine (Storm), to democratize access to space.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B)
- **Headquarters**: Munich, Germany (HQ); additional offices in Bordeaux (France), Luxembourg, Turin (Italy), Houston (Texas, USA), and Dubai/Abu Dhabi (UAE)
- **Founded**: 2021
- **Founders**: Hélène Huby (CEO) and a team of aerospace veterans

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Space transportation, aerospace engineering, orbital logistics
- **Target customers**: Space station operators, satellite operators, government space agencies (e.g., NASA), commercial space companies (B2B, B2G)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "To build space vehicles for humanity, enabling everyone to participate peacefully in the building of our human future." [exploration.space](https://exploration.space/about)

## Products & Services
- **Nyx**: A reusable space capsule designed to dock with any space station, capable of carrying cargo (and eventually crew) to low-Earth orbit. It is the company’s first commercial vehicle.
- **Storm**: A high-thrust, staged-combustion rocket engine delivering up to 180 tons of thrust, designed to power a globally competitive, reusable launcher.
- **Mission Bikini**: A first demonstrator capsule built for ballistic reentry, completed from paper sketch to flight-ready in nine months.
- **Mission Possible**: A second demonstrator capsule built for controlled re-entry and recovery with cargo, completed in two years.
- **Orbital Propulsion**: In-house development of avionics, flight software, guidance/navigation/control (GNC), and reusable thrusters.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Total Funding**: $210.06M (Series B, with a $160M round raised approximately two years ago) [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/the-exploration-company)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Backed by tier-one investors; first European company to sign a Space Act Agreement with NASA; board includes figures like Mike Griffin (former NASA Administrator) and Yo-Yo Ma (cellist and board advisor) [exploration.space](https://exploration.space/about)
- **Growth Signals**: 10 missions already booked; two demonstrator capsules built in under three years; team of 450+ employees spanning 35 nationalities; offices in 6 locations across Europe, the US, and the UAE; named one of the fastest-growing space companies worldwide.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Speed of execution**: Demonstrated ability to go from concept to flight-ready hardware in 9–24 months, far faster than traditional aerospace.
- **Reusability focus**: Both Nyx and Storm are designed for rapid reuse, dramatically lowering per-mission costs.
- **Open-source vehicle design**: TEC’s approach is intentionally collaborative, fostering partnerships across countries and with NASA.
- **Full-stack capability**: Controls the entire space transportation stack (capsule, engine, avionics, software), reducing dependency on external suppliers.
- **European base with global reach**: Positioned as a key European player in the new space economy, with strong government and commercial ties.

## Strategic Focus
- **Commercial cargo missions**: First priority is launching Nyx to serve low-Earth orbit space stations (both public and private).
- **Engine development**: Continuing work on Storm to power a future European launcher.
- **International expansion**: Deepening presence in the US (Houston office) and UAE (Dubai/Abu Dhabi office).
- **Talent scaling**: Growing the team from 450+ to meet mission milestones, with a focus on engineering, production, and digital roles.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Emphasizes speed, execution, and ownership. Values include Excellence, Teamwork, Integrity, and "Space for everyone." The company prides itself on gathering diverse, international talent from both space and non-space backgrounds.
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Offers flexibility and remote work opportunities depending on the role, but encourages a hybrid approach where possible. [exploration.space](https://www.exploration.space/careers)
- **Relocation Support**: Yes, the company provides relocation assistance and work permit/visa support for new hires.
- **Notable Perks**: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge space vehicles from day one; internal mobility encouraged; background check required for all offers.
- **Engineering Culture**: Leadership includes aerospace veterans who have worked on major global space programs. The team is 450+ strong, representing 35 nationalities, with a flat, fast-moving structure.

## Sources
1. [exploration.space - Home](https://exploration.space/)
2. [exploration.space - About](https://exploration.space/about)
3. [exploration.space - Careers](https://www.exploration.space/careers)
4. [cbinsights.com - The Exploration Company](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/the-exploration-company)
5. [Wikipedia - The Exploration Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exploration_Company)

## Other roles at The Exploration Company

- [Propulsion Engineer - Huracan Components](https://feeny.ai/job/propulsion-engineer-huracan-components-the-exploration-company-bordeaux-hm7d92nm0je9) — Bordeaux, France
- [HIL Engineer — Huracan Rocket Engine](https://feeny.ai/job/hil-engineer-huracan-rocket-engine-the-exploration-company-bordeaux-emhstqpnghzd) — Bordeaux, France
- [Intern- Office & Site Management](https://feeny.ai/job/intern-office-site-management-the-exploration-company-munich-0804jw3gzwpp) — Munich, Germany
- [Lead European Institutions and French Public Affairs](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-european-institutions-and-french-public-affairs-the-exploration-company-f5qg5721tw4a) — France
- [Project Security Officer](https://feeny.ai/job/project-security-officer-the-exploration-company-bordeaux-xzdts7mgjyqe) — Bordeaux, France
- [Deputy Flight Software Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/deputy-flight-software-lead-the-exploration-company-munich-bs353xwvzqjx) — Munich, Germany
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- [Lead Supply Chain](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-supply-chain-the-exploration-company-munich-ghy6tyn015aq) — Munich, Germany
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