Range Operations Manager

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability
 
At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.
 
By joining Hypersonica, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.
 
We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

What you'll do

- Plan, coordinate, and deliver the operational activity required to support live trials and test campaigns.

- Lead day-to-day range operations during deployments, ensuring teams, equipment, vehicles, ground-support equipment, tooling, documentation, and consumables are ready when required.

- Establish and maintain a clear battle rhythm across assembly, integration, transport, range set-up, test execution, recovery, and post-trial activities.

- Act as the operational link between Engineering, Production Operations, Test, Safety, logistics providers, and range personnel.

- Coordinate the movement, preparation, configuration, and deployment of test hardware in line with approved plans and range procedures.

- Support range readiness reviews, test rehearsals, briefings, checklists, and operational go/no-go decision-making.

- Maintain accurate records of hardware configuration, equipment status, test assets, tooling, consumables, and deployment activities.

- Ensure range and field activities are conducted in a controlled, disciplined, and safe manner, escalating operational risks and issues early.

- Coordinate site set-up and pack-down, including work areas, temporary infrastructure, equipment staging, ground-support equipment, and hardware recovery.

- Support the investigation and resolution of operational issues during live trials, working closely with engineering and production teams to keep activity moving safely and efficiently.

- Capture lessons learned from each campaign and improve processes, checklists, logistics plans, and operational readiness for future trials

Who you are

- Experienced in operational delivery at live test ranges, trials sites, flight-test environments, defence test facilities, or similarly demanding field operations.

- You may have gained this experience in the military, defence or aerospace industries, a test and evaluation organisation, or another high-consequence operational environment.

- Comfortable operating in structured, safety-critical environments where planning, clear communication, configuration control, and disciplined execution are essential.

- Experienced in coordinating personnel, equipment, logistics, and technical activity during time-critical deployments.

- Familiar with range procedures, test readiness activities, operational briefings, site safety, controlled work areas, and post-trial recovery.

- Able to work effectively with engineers and technicians while maintaining a practical focus on operational delivery.

- Highly organised, calm under pressure, and able to adapt quickly when test plans, weather, hardware status, or site conditions change.

- A practical problem-solver who takes ownership, spots risks early, and drives actions through to completion.

- Strong communicator, able to coordinate across internal teams, external range operators, suppliers, and specialist contractors.

- Willing and able to travel regularly and work flexibly around deployment and live-trial schedules.

Security and Eligibility Requirement

Due to the nature of the work with the UK MOD, applicants must be a British Citizen (or Dual UK national with British citizenship) and eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC) and, where required, Developed Vetting (DV)

What we offer

- A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.

- Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence , with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.

- High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement , just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.

- A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.

- A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.

- Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.

At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply.
 
Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.
 
You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.