Technical Manager Defense
As Technical Manager for Defense, you will play a key role in building and strengthening our defense-related activities. You will be the technical expert within this domain, connecting market needs, customer expectations, regulatory requirements, and internal operational capabilities.
Job description
In this role, you ensure that our products, processes, and technical capabilities meet the specific demands of the defense market. You work across teams to translate customer and regulatory requirements into practical, compliant, and scalable solutions. By combining technical expertise with business insight, you help shape the segment portfolio, guide process improvements, and support strategic growth. This is a highly cross-functional position in which you collaborate closely with sales, engineering, production, quality, procurement, and compliance stakeholders.
What you will do
Technical and regulatory expertise in defense
- Act as the main technical reference point for defense-related technical, regulatory, compliance, and industry-specific requirements
- Interpret and translate information security, export control, and other defense-related requirements into compliant systems, processes, and ways of working
- Support commercial teams in understanding and assessing customer requirements, including classification, compliance, and technical feasibility
- Serve as the main point of contact for export license requests and related documentation with the relevant authorities
- Provide technical input during customer discussions, pre-sales activities, and project scoping
Process ownership and operational excellence
- Define and own the technical requirements needed to support efficient and compliant internal processes for the defense segment
- Establish and follow up on standardized workflows, methodologies, and procedures to ensure consistency, quality, and regulatory compliance
- Support and guide sales engineering teams by providing technical direction, coaching, and practical expertise
- Work closely with production and quality teams to define, validate, and improve required production capabilities, assets, and process standards in line with customer expectations
Portfolio and technology management
- Manage the defense segment portfolio and help ensure it remains aligned with market developments, customer needs, and internal capabilities
- Identify gaps between current capabilities and future market requirements, and contribute to the technical roadmap
- Lead or support the qualification and introduction of new products, materials, technologies, and processes into the operational environment
- Collaborate with external partners and suppliers to gather technical information, understand product roadmaps, and identify opportunities for improvement
- Evaluate the business and financial impact of introducing new technologies, products, or processes, together with business stakeholders
Cross-functional alignment and prioritization
- Maintain close collaboration with engineering, production, quality, and commercial teams to understand operational realities and technical constraints
- Assess technical feasibility and advise on capability fit, resource implications, and operational impact
- Support decision-making on priorities by balancing strategic opportunities, customer needs, compliance requirements, and internal capacity
- Contribute to backlog and roadmap prioritization together with business and operational stakeholders
Your profile
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, or equivalent relevant experience
- 5 to 10 years of experience in manufacturing, engineering, industrialization, technical program management, or a related technical environment
- A strong understanding of technical processes, products, and industrial operations
- Experience with or affinity for regulated environments, preferably including defense, aerospace, manufacturing, export control, compliance, or information security
- Comfortable translating complex technical and regulatory requirements into practical solutions and workable processes
- Strong analytical skills and able to assess technical feasibility, weigh priorities, and make well-founded decisions
- A strong quality mindset and understanding of how to implement and maintain high standards in line with customer and industry expectations
- Able to work effectively across multiple stakeholders and influence teams without direct hierarchical authority
- Combine technical expertise with business understanding and are able to balance short-term operational needs with long-term strategic goals
What we offer
Healthy life-work balance
When creating a better and healthier world, a good place to start is with yourself. That's why we encourage our employees to prioritize their overall well-being, fostering physical fitness, mental resilience, and social connections through a range of workshops, sports activities, and other events and initiatives that contribute to a balanced and fulfilling work-life harmony.
Hybrid working & flexibility
At Materialise, we value the power of in-person connections and the advantages of remote work, allowing our employees the flexibility to enjoy the best of both worlds. You can work remotely up to 60% of the time and work flexible hours, depending on your particular role.
Personal growth and career advancement
At Materialise, we’re committed to nurturing the professional development of our employees. We invest in our passionate people and empower them to explore and grow by offering diverse career paths that capitalize on their talents. Plus, we offer courses, external coaching programs, and in-house mentoring so that our employees can fulfill their potential.
Team building
We cultivate a positive work culture so our employees have an enjoyable professional environment. Collaboration is key, so we organize activities that unite our employees, such as after-work events and team lunches. We want all our staff to feel connected in an environment that promotes strong bonds based on trust, respect, empathy, and friendship.
Innovation is key
Innovation is not just a buzzword at Materialise; it's at the core of what we do. As pioneers in our industry, we create cutting-edge solutions, fostering an environment that supports and rewards ingenuity and leadership. We’re dedicated to shaping the future of 3D printing, recognizing and celebrating the creative spirit within all our global innovators.
Healthy life-work balance
When creating a better and healthier world, a good place to start is with yourself. That's why we encourage our employees to prioritize their overall well-being, fostering physical fitness, mental resilience, and social connections through a range of workshops, sports activities, and other events and initiatives that contribute to a balanced and fulfilling work-life harmony.
Hybrid working & flexibility
At Materialise, we value the power of in-person connections and the advantages of remote work, allowing our employees the flexibility to enjoy the best of both worlds. You can work remotely up to 60% of the time and work flexible hours, depending on your particular role.
Personal growth and career advancement
At Materialise, we’re committed to nurturing the professional development of our employees. We invest in our passionate people and empower them to explore and grow by offering diverse career paths that capitalize on their talents. Plus, we offer courses, external coaching programs, and in-house mentoring so that our employees can fulfill their potential.
Team building
We cultivate a positive work culture so our employees have an enjoyable professional environment. Collaboration is key, so we organize activities that unite our employees, such as after-work events and team lunches. We want all our staff to feel connected in an environment that promotes strong bonds based on trust, respect, empathy, and friendship.
Innovation is key
Innovation is not just a buzzword at Materialise; it's at the core of what we do. As pioneers in our industry, we create cutting-edge solutions, fostering an environment that supports and rewards ingenuity and leadership. We’re dedicated to shaping the future of 3D printing, recognizing and celebrating the creative spirit within all our global innovators.
Location and type of contract
- Leuven, Belgium
- Full-time
- Hybrid
- Mid-senior level
- CV in English
Share on:
Working at Materialise
Materialise is a dynamic, international high-tech company, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Belgium, with over 2,300 employees worldwide. Materialise’s mission is to innovate for a better and healthier world through its software and hardware infrastructure and in-depth knowledge of additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing). Our customers are in diverse industries, such as automotive, aerospace, medical, research, and academia.
As a growing company, Materialise is always looking for enthusiastic professionals who want to work in an environment full of revolutionary technology and surrounded by people passionate about their work.