Full-Time
Head of Europe Government Sales
Updated on 9/3/2026
The Exploration Company
501-1,000 employees
Orbital vehicle developer with open interfaces
No salary listed
Bordeaux, France + 2 more
More locations: Turin, Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy | Munich, Germany
Hybrid
Hybrid work is available in Munich, Bordeaux, Paris, or Turin.
 Sales & Account Management (1) |
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- At least 10 years of experience leading business-to-government sales in space, aerospace, defense, high-tech, or another complex technical industry.
- A proven track record of closing large, multi-stakeholder, long-cycle contracts.
- Experience selling to institutional customers internationally.
- Strong understanding of technical products, systems engineering, programme delivery, and contractual risk.
- Experience managing strategic accounts, capture campaigns, tenders, and partnership ecosystems.
- Actively promote The Exploration Company to European institutions to generate demand for cargo, space engines, lunar services, and in-orbit services.
- Build, own, and deliver the sales strategy, revenue targets, and pipeline across priority markets and accounts.
- Map target segments and decision makers, open doors, and build trusted senior-level relationships.
- Identify new opportunities and leads; qualify and prioritize them while maintaining process discipline and accurate cash-in forecasting.
- Lead captures and bids end-to-end, including win strategy, solution shaping, proposal management, pricing, and reviews.
- Negotiate and close consortium agreements, statements of work, and partnership agreements in coordination with Future business, Legal, and Finance.
- Ensure sold offerings are deliverable by writing bids with Programme teams for Nyx or Future projects; manage handover to Programs and follow through to acceptance and invoicing.
- Represent the company at key events and with institutions such as the European Space Agency, European Union, NATO, agencies, and clusters through workshops, conferences, and meetings.
- Install clear sales key performance indicators and cadence, including weekly reporting and monthly forecasting; report performance to executive management.
- Recruit, coach, and manage a small, high-performing team and foster a customer-centric culture.
- Previous experience building or scaling a sales function is highly desirable.
The Exploration.Space builds Nyx, a modular, reusable orbital vehicle that can be refueled in orbit, and operates Nyx for various missions while also selling its open-interface components on the SpaceStore for others to use. Nyx works by launching to orbit, being refueled in space, and reconfiguring for different missions through its modular design. The company differentiates itself by pairing spacecraft operations with an open marketplace of modular components, inviting third parties to build on its technology. Its goal is to make space exploration affordable, sustainable, and accessible to a global audience.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
Series C
Total Funding
$664.8M
Headquarters
Planegg, Germany
Founded
2021
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- On 8 September 2026, TEC raised $450 million, extending runway and validation.
- June 2026 European Astrotech acquisition added propulsion services and launch-site fuelling capabilities.
- Siemens partnership and 10 booked Nyx missions strengthen manufacturing speed and near-term demand.
What critics are saying
- Nyx failed reentry recovery in June 2025, leaving unresolved technical credibility until 2028 ISS flight.
- Houston Nyx Crew hiring and ITAR compliance increase execution risk across Europe and Texas.
- Storm and Yrene stretch TEC beyond capsules; one major delay can starve capital and customers.
What makes The Exploration Company unique
- Nyx is a launcher-agnostic reusable capsule with in-orbit refueling ambitions.
- TEC pairs spacecraft hardware with Storm engines and a future reusable heavy-lift launcher.
- Its open-interface SpaceStore strategy sells components beyond launches, broadening distribution channels.
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Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -1%1 year growth
↓ -1%2 year growth
↓ -5%PARIS, 8 September 2026: The Exploration Company (TEC), a European space company scaling globally, today announced a $450 million Series C financing, the largest-ever Series C announced by a European space company. It also marks the largest funding round ever secured by an EU-headquartered company led by a female founder and CEO. The round is co-led by Bessemer Venture Partners, Atomico, and the Scaleup Europe Fund, managed by EQT, with participation from TEC’s existing European backers including Balderton, Plural, Cherry and Red River West.
The Exploration Company wants to build Europe's largest rocket. The German-French start-up is raising fresh capital, according to Handelsblatt information. The company wants to compete with rocket manufacturers with this - also with a factory in Germany. August 20, 2026 - 5:31 p.m. Düsseldorf, Berlin. It is one of the most prominent start-ups in space travel in Europe: The Exploration Company (TEC). Founded in 2021, the company has been working on a reusable and low-cost space capsule - until now. Now the company has largely completed a major financing round, as Handelsblatt has learned from six people involved in the process. According to this, TEC will receive at least $300 million (equivalent to €257 million) in the coming weeks. Hélène Huby, CEO and co-founder of TEC, wants to significantly expand the business model with the new capital and build Europe's largest reusable heavy-lift rocket. In doing so, TEC is not only competing with German microlaunchers such as Isar Aerospace, RFA or HyImpulse - but also with ArianeGroup, the manufacturer of the Ariane rocket.
German SpaceX competitor heading for $2 billion valuation. 17:05, 27 July 2026 According to a Financial Times report, the European space startup could soon receive $300 million. A bit of SpaceX made in Europe: As the Financial Times reports, the German-French company The Exploration Company (TEC) could soon announce financing of over $300 million. This would give TEC double unicorn status - a valuation of $2 billion. There is no official confirmation from TEC yet. The company was founded in 2021 by Hélène Huby. The Frenchwoman was previously responsible for space at Airbus. Recycling space capsule. TEC's product is called Nyx. It is a reusable space capsule. Currently unmanned, later there could also be a version with passengers. However, the cycle has not yet been closed. As thenextweb reports, the test flights have never gone so well that the Nyx capsule could be sent off again. The fresh money is a good sign of confidence in the team around Huby. Likewise, the open positions indicate optimism. A total of 114 positions are advertised at TEC. From technicians in Munich (annual gross 47,000-60,000 euros) to the chief position for testing constructions (up to 140,000).
SpaceX's European rival is in talks to raise $300 million, FT reports. The Exploration Company GmbH, a potential European rival to Elon Musk's company, is in talks to raise at least $300 million, which would lift the company's valuation to over $2 billion. By Yash Roy July 26, 2026 | 02:29 PM Bloomberg - The Exploration Company GmbH, a potential European rival to SpaceX, Elon Musk's company, is in talks to raise at least $300 million, partly from the European Union's Scaleup Europe fund, which would lift the company's valuation to over $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. The funding round, which has not yet been finalized, would help finance the company's efforts to develop Europe's first reusable space capsule intended to carry cargo to the International Space Station and its planned successor, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The Scaleup Europe fund is managed by Swedish investment group EQT AB. Neither the Exploration Company nor EQT responded to requests for comment outside of regular business hours on Sunday. The company last raised about $160 million in 2024, receiving funds backed by the governments of France and Germany with investors such as French Tech Souveraineté and German funds DeepTech and Climate Fonds. The 2024 funding round was also intended to finance its reusable space capsule, Nyx. Read more at Bloomberg.com
Siemens collaborates with The Exploration Company on reusable spacecraft development. By S. N. Jenkins July 21, 2026 Siemens announced on July 21 that it is supporting The Exploration Company in the development of next-generation reusable spacecraft. Edwin Severijn, senior vice president and general manager for Europe, Middle East, Africa at Siemens Digital Industries Software, said, "The future of aerospace will be defined by companies that combine speed, innovation and engineering precision at scale. Our work with The Exploration Company exemplifies how Siemens Xcelerator helps customers build a connected digital enterprise that accelerates development and enables them to meet the rigorous demands of next generation space programs." Daniel Prudente Martins, principal EWIS & electrical interfaces for Nyx Avionics at The Exploration Company, said, "At The Exploration Company, our mission is to make space more accessible through reusable technology. Achieving this requires an advanced, scalable engineering environment. Working with Siemens and adopting its best-in-class industrial software is helping us connect our engineering processes, reduce rework, accelerate development and streamline manufacturing as we scale our operations. For MissionBikini, our orbital demonstration capsule, we progressed from initial concept to flight hardware in just nine months, demonstrating the speed at which our integrated engineering approach enables rapid development." The integrated software tools within the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio enable seamless data exchange and traceability throughout the development process while supporting certification requirements typical in aerospace programs. By bringing together mechanical, electrical and simulation disciplines in a single engineering environment, teams can work more efficiently. During the development of Storm - The Exploration Company's high thrust rocket engine - the team can model and optimize additive manufacturing processes more effectively, with changes in one domain reflected across others. Siemens supports sustainability through its DEGREE framework, which emphasizes decarbonization as well as ethics and governance; resource efficiency; equity; and employability, according to the official website. The company focuses on technology in electrification, automation and digitalization to deliver value; operates globally across sectors including Digital Industries and Smart Infrastructure; has local expertise nearly everywhere; is known for breakthrough technologies addressing sustainability challenges; operates divisions such as Mobility and Healthineers; and Roland Busch serves as president and chief executive officer - all according to the official website.