UK Space Jobs

• Reading
• Hybrid
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Own the spacecraft thermal control system end to end, running steady-state and transient analyses across launch, orbit and end-of-life phases. Design MLI, radiators, heaters and coatings, and support TVAC test procedures and hardware validation alongside mechanical, propulsion and electronics teams.

Systema · Thermal Desktop · ESATAN +2

• London
• On-site
• Senior
• Permanent

Owns the spacecraft thermal architecture across all mission phases, defining control strategies, thermal budgets and hardware such as MLI, radiators, heat pipes and heaters. Leads thermal modelling in ESATAN-TMS, verification and TVAC testing, and may coordinate the Mechanical, Thermal and Propulsion domains on a mission. Acts as technical authority liaising with customers, suppliers and partners while mentoring thermal engineers.

ESATAN-TMS · MLI · Heat Pipes +4

• Guildford

Lead the development and delivery of next-generation spacecraft optical payloads, from concept through manufacture, integration and verification. Hands-on work includes interferometry, MTF bench setups, wavefront measurement, precision alignment and environmental test campaigns, while owning requirements, V&V plans, risk registers and customer-facing technical documentation within a multidisciplinary team.

OpticStudio · Zemax · FRED +1

• London
• £55,000 – £75,000 pa
• Mid-level

Design, lay out, bring up and validate PCBs for high-speed digital avionics on autonomous spacecraft, owning subsystem architecture from concept through simulation to hardware testing and on-orbit readiness. Work hands-on with oscilloscopes, logic analysers and harness fabrication, collaborating with mechanical, systems and software teams on environmental qualification (EMC, vibration, thermal vacuum).

Linux · NVIDIA SoMs · FPGA +4

• London
• On-site
• Senior
• Permanent

Supports the full technical development of satellite missions, from early concept and requirements through launch and in-orbit commissioning. Coordinates system-level activities, manages interfaces and maintains the system baseline and engineering documentation across subsystems. Works on current missions and future projects within the Systems Engineering Team.

LEO · MEO · GEO +1

• Rowstock
• On-site
• £54 – £100 ph
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Systems engineer role within a space propulsion centre of excellence, owning propulsion subsystem and equipment activities across Phase A-E for satellite programmes. Acts as primary technical lead for the subsystem in MAIT and architecture, managing work packages, requirements baselines, design reviews and non-conformances while interfacing with customers, PMO, AIT and suppliers. Involves analysis tooling in EcosimPro, MATLAB, Python and Excel, with occasional UK/Europe travel.

EcosimPro · MATLAB · Python +1

• Reading
• Hybrid
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Structural analysis of flight hardware for VLEO satellites, covering static, modal, vibration, shock and quasi-static load cases. Builds and validates finite element models, performs hand calculations, and runs vibration and shock qualification test campaigns end-to-end, including instrumentation and model correlation. Works closely with mechanical, thermal, propulsion, systems and AIT teams across the full development lifecycle.

NASTRAN · ANSYS · Abaqus +3

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

Designs the electronics that run autonomous satellite laser ranging stations, covering control, power and sensing plus interfaces linking lasers, detectors, telescopes and computers. Involves PCB layout and bring-up, power distribution for remote sites, sensor integration, component selection and supplier management, with lab debugging and field support. Part of a small London team spanning optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics.

KiCad · Altium · C +4

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

Designs mounts, benches and enclosures that keep telescope and bench optics aligned in unattended, remote stations. Owns alignment concepts, fixtures and procedures, runs thermal and structural FEA to set tolerances, and designs for manufacture, assembly and field servicing, working with the workshop and suppliers from drawing to finished part.

SolidWorks · Onshape

• Cambridge
• Lead

Owns mechanical design of satellite and aerospace electronics from concept through requirements, detailed design, simulation, manufacturing, testing, qualification and in-orbit support. Requires deep electronics packaging expertise across thermal, shock, vibration, EMI/EMC and FEA, plus mentoring junior engineers and presenting design reviews to customers and executives.

SolidWorks · Ansys · CAD +1

• Cambridge
• Hybrid
• Senior
• Permanent

Design and develop analogue, digital and mixed-signal electronic systems across the full product lifecycle, from concept to volume manufacture. Work in a multidisciplinary team with RF, software, firmware and mechanical engineers on telecoms, space, defence and high-altitude platform products, owning system-level architecture, integration, verification and EMC/safety compliance.

PCIe · USB · Ethernet +6

• Edinburgh
• £36 ph
• Senior
• Contract

Design, develop, integrate and qualify advanced RF hardware from UHF to Ka Band for aerospace and space communication systems. The role covers active RF circuit design (LNAs, SSPAs, mixers, PLLs), link budget and line-up analysis, simulation with AWR/ADS/CST/HFSS, and hands-on testing with VNAs and spectrum analysers, including EMI/EMC and thermal vacuum qualification.

AWR Microwave Office · Keysight ADS · CST Studio Suite +7

• Stockton-on-Tees
• Hybrid
• Senior
• Permanent

Design and lay out advanced MMICs in GaAs, GaN and InP for microwave and millimetre-wave products operating from 37GHz to 115GHz, covering LNAs, PAs, converters, attenuators and multipliers. The role spans simulation, verification, thermal and reliability analysis, foundry liaison and lab characterisation, with scope to influence technology direction and mentor engineers.

GaAs · GaN · InP

• Cambridge
• Lead · manages people

Owns end-to-end design of complex electronics modules for satellites and aerospace systems, covering architecture, schematic, PCB layout in Altium, analysis, bring-up and production release. Also leads teams of hardware engineers, mentors staff and presents design reviews to customers and executives.

Altium Designer · Ansys SIwave · ADS SIPro +1

• Portsmouth
• On-site
• Entry level
• Internship

A four-year Level 4 higher technical apprenticeship combining study towards an HNC/HND in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering with hands-on work in one of the UK's largest space cleanrooms. Apprentices rotate across disciplines, building and testing satellite payloads, running vibration, shock, thermal and EMC tests, and supporting design and assembly of electronic hardware, with study time at Havant and Southdowns College.