Systems Engineer

Surrey Satellite Technology
Guildford, GU2 7YE, United Kingdom
5 months ago
Job Type
Permanent
Work Pattern
Full-time
Work Location
Hybrid
Seniority
Senior
Education
Degree
Visa Sponsorship
Available
Posted
8 Jan 2026 (5 months ago)

Benefits

32 days Holiday plus Bank Holidays Pension Scheme with Life Assurance Private Medical & International Travel Insurance Annual Bonus Scheme Share Incentive Plan Enhanced Maternity, Paternity & Shared Parental Pay High Street Discount Scheme

This role is an exciting opportunity to join the Systems team with responsibility to lead space missions from LEO to GEO and beyond. Engineers at SSTL have involvement on a mission from concept, through to AIT, launch, commissioning and operational life; a true cradle to grave experience and will give you the chance to see your work in Space in a rapid timescale! The Systems Engineer role plays an essential part in leading other technical disciplines, to bring together quality and pragmatic solutions for innovative projects, whilst working within a great team environment.

Key Tasks

· System engineer/technical lead on SSTL missions from contract negotiations through to launch and operations

· To work as part of a team to perform mission and system design for missions ranging from LEO to GEO and beyond

· System level design of space and ground segments including requirements analysis, sensitivity analysis, mission analysis and design trade-offs

· To work as part of a team in the production of concepts of operations for missions

· Conduct customer-facing meetings and presentation at all project stages

· Preparation of presentation materials and reports to a high standard for all phases of the project

· Working with the Sales and Engineering teams in support of bid/tender activities to generate technical solutions for a variety of customers

· Support/ lead studies for a variety of customers. Management of these studies to meet technical requirements, and to cost and schedule.

Previous Experience

· Experience as a technical lead on a space mission project

· Proven experienced spacecraft Systems Engineer

· Experience of designing space missions starting from end-user requirements (ideally cradle to grave)

· Experience of designing and analysing space and ground segments to the sub-system level

· Ideally with experience of downstream spacecraft level testing

· Ideally with system experience of commissioning

· Experience in requirements and verification management

Qualifications Knowledge & Skills

· Degree or equivalent in Engineering, Physics or Maths

· Excellent technical writing and presentation (generating and delivering) skills

· Good knowledge or awareness of orbit analysis, constellation configurations, RF link analysis, system budgets, operations, ground segment, space environment and satellite mechanical and electrical architectures

· Good knowledge of a wide range of satellite applications, e.g. Earth observation, communications, science etc

· Ability to work under pressure and to tight timescales

· Good knowledge of requirements management

· Good knowledge of FMECA’s and FDIR design

· Excellent knowledge of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint

· Excellent knowledge of STK and Matlab or equivalent analysis tools

· Hands on familiarity with environmental testing (eg vibration and thermal vacuum tests)

· Good knowledge of assembly and test methods for space flight equipment

· Some knowledge of MS Project or equivalent planning tool

Location

SSTL prides itself on being a super flexible company. The role is based in our Head Office in Guildford but we fully support hybrid working and a range of flexible working options.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package includes; 32 days Holiday plus Bank Holidays, Pension Scheme with Life Assurance, Private Medical & International Travel Insurance, Annual Bonus Scheme, Share Incentive Plan, Enhanced Maternity, Paternity & Shared Parental Pay for new parents, High Street Discount Scheme and many more!

Visa Support

SSTL supports applications requiring a UK Skilled Worker Visa and sponsorship is available for this role. Relocation assistance also available.

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Systems Engineer

DCS Recruitment Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
£45,000 – £50,000 pa Hybrid Clearance Required

Systems Engineer

Open Cosmos Ltd Didcot, OX11 0RL, United Kingdom
On-site

Systems Engineer

In-Parallel Computer Staff Ltd London, United Kingdom

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Space Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Where to advertise space jobs UK in 2026: the specialist boards, agency channels and community routes that reach satellite, propulsion and launch talent. The candidate pool spans satellite engineers, propulsion specialists, mission analysts, ground segment software developers, space systems architects and commercial space professionals — a highly specific multidisciplinary community that general job boards are poorly equipped to reach. The strongest space candidates are often embedded in ESA programmes, academic research groups, UK Space Agency-funded projects or established primes, and move between roles through sector-specific networks, industry bodies and conference communities rather than mainstream platforms. This guide, published by UKSpaceJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise space industry roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.

Space Jobs UK 2026: What to Expect Over the Next 3 Years

Space Jobs UK 2026: roles, salaries and the UK space sector hiring trends shaping satellites, launch, Earth observation and space data careers. The UK space sector is in the middle of something that feels genuinely historic. A combination of government commitment, private capital, and technological progress has transformed Britain's position in the global space economy from a capable but secondary player into a nation with serious sovereign ambitions — and a jobs market that is expanding to match them. This is not the space industry of previous generations, defined by a small number of government agencies, a handful of prime contractors, and career pathways accessible only to a narrow band of elite engineers and scientists. The new space economy is broader, faster-moving, and more commercially driven than anything the sector has previously seen. Satellite manufacturing has been democratised by small sat technology. Launch is becoming domestic. Space data is flowing into applications across agriculture, insurance, climate monitoring, maritime, and defence at a scale that is creating entirely new categories of commercial hiring. And the defence and national security dimensions of space have elevated the sector's strategic importance to a degree that is driving sustained public investment in the talent pipeline. For job seekers, the UK space jobs market of 2026 represents an opportunity that is both more accessible and more technically demanding than at any previous point. The candidates who will thrive over the next three years are those who understand where the sector is heading — which programmes are moving from development into operation, which technologies are defining the architecture of modern space systems, and how the definition of a space career is expanding well beyond the spacecraft engineering core toward a much wider ecosystem of roles across the full space value chain. This article breaks down what the UK space jobs market is likely to look like through to 2028 — covering the titles emerging right now, the technologies driving employer demand, the skills that will matter most, and how to position your career at the leading edge of one of the most exciting sectors in the UK economy.