Program Director - Hardware Systems (All Genders)

At Stark, we forge the future of European and national security through cutting-edge, AI-driven technology and unmatched engineering precision. As a premier defence technology company, our mission is clear: to equip NATO Allies and their partners with next-generation autonomous defence platforms and advanced AI-driven software built to perform in the world’s most demanding environments. We believe that true security stems from relentless innovation. By combining elite engineering talent with agile technology and an AI-native operational culture, Stark turns complex defence challenges into field-tested, multi-domain solutions. WHY JOIN US • The software and systems you work on directly protect personnel and defend European and national sovereignty. • You will work alongside industry-leading minds on autonomous systems, advanced propulsion, and secure cyber platforms. • We foster a fast-paced, collaborative environment where bold ideas are supported by serious R&D backing. YOUR MISSION As a Program Manager at STARK, you will lead one of our core hardware programs taking it from early R&D all the way to production readiness. You’ll be responsible for translating ambitious technical concepts into operational products and building the team that makes it happen. You’ll work hand-in-hand with a dedicated Chief Engineer, combining program leadership with technical direction. Together, you’ll shape the vision, align priorities, and drive execution across engineering, production, and business functions. A key part of your mission will be to build and scale a world-class engineering team, recruiting top talent, defining structure, and fostering a high-performance culture that moves fast, collaborates openly, and delivers. You’ll also coordinate with shared engineering functions (simulation, testing, systems, etc.) to allocate resources effectively and ensure critical work gets the attention it needs. This role is about ownership and leadership: Building both a product and the organization that delivers it. WHAT YOU WILL DO AT STARK • End-to-End Program Leadership: Own the delivery of a major hardware program from R&D, to go-to-market verification to production readiness. • Team Building: Build, structure, and grow a high-performing multidisciplinary team. Recruit top engineering talent and create an environment where they can deliver their best work. • Partnership with Chief Engineer: Co-lead the program, pairing strong technical direction with decisive program leadership. • Strategic Planning: Translate strategic goals into clear milestones, deliverables, and resource plans. • Execution & Prioritization: Drive focus on what matters most. Keep teams aligned, proactive, and moving fast. • Cross-Functional Coordination: Connect the dots across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and business functions to maintain alignment and momentum. • Program–Portfolio Alignment: Work closely with the VP Programs to ensure key programs get the focus and resources needed to deliver cutting-edge technology to customers at record speed. • Leadership & Culture: Set high standards, communicate clearly, and keep teams motivated and accountable even in demanding phases. • Stakeholder Communication: Deliver concise, transparent updates on progress, risks, and key decisions to leadership. • Process & Structure: Implement pragmatic governance and scalable processes that enable speed without bureaucracy. WHAT YOU BRING TO THE MISSION • Experience: 4–10 years in program or project management, ideally in hardware, aerospace, robotics, or defense. Proven experience leading complex technical programs and growing teams. • Background: Technical or technically literate background: e.g. engineering, industrial engineering, or technical management. You don’t need to design systems yourself, but you must understand how engineers think and work. • Leadership: Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams. You attract talent, set structure, and keep people aligned through clarity and purpose. • Mindset: Mission-driven, decisive, and pragmatic. You thrive in ambiguity and bring structure to complexity. You seek feedback, learn fast, and raise your own bar continuously. • Communication: Clear, direct communicator with strong written and verbal skills in English and German. • Execution: Strong bias for action: >ou get things done, stay close to the details, and drive accountability. • Tools: Comfortable with modern program tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence, Excel, and PMO systems). If you're interested in building the future of European Defence with us, and you see yourself reflected on the description above, please send us your CV in English. We're looking forward to meeting you! SECURITY CLEARANCE Due to the nature of our work in the defence sector, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance required for this position. Details will be provided during the recruitment process. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. DATA PRIVACY STATEMENT This data privacy statement, which refers exclusively to data collected as part of the online application process, is to inform you about how your personal data that is collected as part of the online application process is handled at our end. The controller The controller under data protection law is: SKD SE Französische Strasse 12, 10117 Berlin Commercial register entry number: HRB 260878 Registration Court: Amtsgericht Charlottenburg Data Protection officer: heyData GmbH, Schützenstraße 5, 10117 Berlin, www.heydata.eu, ----- Personal data collected as part of the application process Personal data means any information concerning the personal or material circumstances of an identified or identifiable individual. This includes information such as, for example, your name, address, telephone number and date of birth, but also data relating to your specific career etc. by reference to which a specific individual can be identified with reasonable effort. However, information which cannot be (in)directly associated with your real-life identity is not personal data. Fundamentals and purposes of processing personal data collected from application documents and during the application process If you apply to us electronically, i.e. via e-mail or using our online form, we will collect and process your personal data for the purpose of executing the application process and preparing contracts. By submitting an application via our recruitment website, you express your interest in taking up work with us. In this context, you transmit personal data, which we will use and store exclusively for the purpose of your job search / application process. In particular, the following data is collected during this process: • name (first and last names) • e-mail address • phone number • LinkedIn profile (optional) • channel through which you found us Furthermore, you can choose to upload expressive documents such as a cover letter, your CV and reference letters. These may contain additional personal data such as date of birth, address etc. Only authorized HR staff and/or staff involved in the application process have access to your data. The personal data is stored, as a rule, exclusively for the purpose of filling the vacancy for which you have applied. Your data will be stored for a period of 180 days after the application process has been concluded. This is usually done to fulfill legal requirements and/or defending ourselves against any claims arising from legal provisions. After this period, we are obligated to delete or anonymize your data. In case of anonymization, the data will only be available to us in the form of so-called metadata, without any direct personal reference, for statistical analysis (for example, share of male and/or female applicants, number of applications per specified period of time etc.). Furthermore, we reserve the right to store your data for 180 days after the application process has been concluded for the purpose of adding it to our Talent Pool in order to identify any other vacancies that may be of interest to you. This includes, for example, applications for apprenticeships or internships. By accepting the data privacy statement, you consent to any further storage of your data as well as its inclusion in our Talent Pool. Should you be offered and accept a position with us during the application process, we will store the personal data collected as part of the application process for at least the duration of your employment. Disclosure of data to third parties Data transmitted as part of your application will be transferred using TLS encryption and stored in a database. This database is operated by Greenhouse, which offers a human resource and applicant management software solution (https://www.greenhouse.com/data-processing-addendum). In this context, Greenhouse is our processor under article 28 of the GDPR. In this case, the processing is based on an agreement for the processing of orders between us as the controller and Greenhouse. Rights of data subjects If we as the controller process personal data, you as the data subject have certain rights under Chapter III of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), depending on the legal basis and the purpose of the processing, in particular the right of access (article 15 of the GDPR) and the rights to rectification (article 16 of the GDPR), erasure (article 17 of the GDPR), restriction of processing (article 18 of the GDPR), and data portability (article 20 of the GDPR), as well as the right to object (article 21 of the GDPR). If the personal data is processed with your consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent under article 7 III of the GDPR. To assert your rights as a data subject in relation to the data processed during this online application process, please refer to our Data Protection Officer (see item 2). Concluding provisions We reserve the right to adjust this data privacy statement at any point in time to ensure that it is in line with the current legal requirements at all times, or in order to accommodate changes in the application process or other processes. In this case, the new data privacy statement applies to any later visit of this recruitment website or any later job application. LEGAL NOTICE 1. Information according to § 5 DDG SKD SE Französische Str. 12 10117 Berlin Internet: www.stark-defence.com E-Mail: ----- SKD SE, Berlin (registered office of the company), is a Societas Europaea (legal form for joint stock companies), registered at the district court of Berlin (Charlottenburg) under the register number: HRB 260878 B, represented by the Executive Board: Uwe Horstmann, Dr. André Schneider, Johannes Schaback, Jan-Patrick Helmsen, Martin Rost. Chairman of the Supervisory Board is Mr. Robert Maier. VAT ID No.: DE369778559 2. Liability We are responsible for the content of our website in accordance with the provisions of general law. All content is created with the necessary care and to the best of our knowledge and is for information purposes only. Insofar as we refer on our Internet pages to the Internet pages of third parties by means of hyperlinks, we cannot accept any liability for guarantee that the linked content is always up to date, correct and complete, as this content is outside our responsibility and we have no influence on its future design. If, in your opinion, content violates applicable law or is inappropriate, please let us know. The legal information on this page as well as all questions and disputes in connection with the design of this website are subject to the law of the Federal Republic of Germany. 3. Data Protection You can find our data protection information here. There you will also find the contact details of our data protection officer. 4. Copyright Information The texts, images, photos, videos and graphics on our website are generally protected by copyright. Any unauthorized use (in particular the reproduction, editing or distribution) of this copyright-protected content is therefore prohibited. If you intend to use this content or parts thereof, please contact us in advance using the details above. If we are not ourselves the owner of the required copyright usage rights, we will endeavor to arrange contact with the entitled party. Find more English Speaking Jobs in Germany on Arbeitnow