UK Space Jobs

• Stevenage
• Hybrid
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Joins a small, start-up-style team within a large defence and space organisation, shaping early-phase satellite missions from concept through initial design. Defines mission architectures, runs feasibility studies and trade-offs, and supports bids and customer engagement with universities, agencies and small companies. Combines systems engineering with modelling and simulation across varied, short-term projects.

• Portsmouth
• Hybrid
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Bridge the gap between customers and hardware, software, signal processing and applications engineers, defining requirements and maintaining system architecture for SDR-based platforms. Integrate and validate RF front-ends, FPGAs and real-time software stacks, run performance and trade studies, and lead system-level troubleshooting within a start-up-feel R&D group.

GNU Radio · REDHAWK · FPGA +1

• Issy-Les-Moulineaux, United Kingdom
• Hybrid
• Senior

Specify and oversee development of mission control and resource management systems for IRIS² and future satellite constellations, covering payload planning, gateway and network configuration. Work spans functional architecture, supplier RFP assessment, trade-offs across subsystems, and integration with IVV teams. Interfaces closely with service and spacecraft operations teams.

NG-RAN · IRIS²

• Portsmouth
• Hybrid
• £60,000 – £80,000 pa
• Senior · manages people

Lead major systems engineering consulting projects for defence clients, delivering technical excellence across requirements, architecture, MBSE and integration. The role combines team leadership, client delivery, subject-matter expertise and business development, including bids and stakeholder engagement with UK MOD and defence primes.

INCOSE · C4I Systems · Satellite Communications

• Oxfordshire
• £65,000 – £98,000 pa
• Lead

Leads a team of systems engineers while actively contributing to the design and development of complex spacecraft systems across the full lifecycle, from mission concept to integration and verification. Focuses on technical trade-offs, requirements management, and cross-disciplinary coordination within a high-tech space organisation. Offers leadership responsibility alongside hands-on engineering in a collaborative, international environment.

• Portsmouth
• Hybrid
• £60,000 – £80,000 pa
• Senior
• Permanent

Consultants work with government and industry clients to analyse problems, capture requirements, create architectures, assess options and make evidence-based recommendations, typically on defence and security research and procurement projects. The role spans the systems engineering lifecycle, from requirements elicitation and V&V to MBSE and trade-off studies, and involves leading technical consulting projects and building client relationships.

Sparx EA · MBSE · DOORS +3

• Wolverhampton
• On-site
• Mid-level

Design, develop, commission and support advanced aerospace test rigs, building real-time control solutions and integrating hardware and software across the full lifecycle. Work with LabVIEW, NI platforms, PLCs, Beckhoff, TwinCAT and EtherCAT on hydraulic, electro-mechanical and actuation test equipment, diagnosing faults and improving legacy systems within a multidisciplinary engineering team.

LabVIEW · National Instruments · NI TestStand +5

• 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

• Didcot

Own the end-to-end development of optical payloads for Earth observation missions, from requirements and concept definition through design, testing, launch and in-orbit commissioning. Act as technical authority for payload work packages, performing mission analysis, system design and image quality budgeting (MTF, SNR, resolution, detectors) while coordinating across engineering teams, partners and suppliers.

• 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

• Aylesbury

Hands-on role in a Test Group designing, building and maintaining propellant and pressurant feed systems, Ground Support Equipment and Electrical Ground Support Equipment for chemical rocket engines and thrusters. Involves interpreting test plans, running HAZOPs and risk assessments, supporting propulsion testing, analysing data and presenting results to Engineering and customers. Work spans offices, cleanrooms and test facilities, with occasional late shifts, nights and weekends.

• Aylesbury
• £60,000 – £65,000 pa

Design and integrate terrestrial and satellite communication networks, covering 5G, 6G and satellite-enabled connectivity. The role involves embedding telecoms components into hardware platforms, contributing to technical proposals, and collaborating with external businesses, universities and research organisations.

Linux · 5G · 6G

• Oxfordshire
• Hybrid
• £40,000 – £70,000 pa
• Mid-level

Contribute across the GNC development lifecycle for complex satellite missions, from requirements, architectures and FDIR to V&V strategies. Involves integrating GNC algorithms, computer vision and hardware, plus flight software architecture, trade-offs and on-orbit operations support. Distinct for its focus on rendezvous, proximity operations and spacecraft capture systems.

MATLAB · Simulink · C/C++

• Guildford
• Mid-level

Hands-on security infrastructure role maintaining and hardening core IT systems, with a focus on embedding security into design rather than treating it separately. Day-to-day work spans 3rd line support, vulnerability remediation, access control, SIEM/EDR tooling, cloud platforms, IaC automation and CSIRT incident response. Distinct for its blend of infrastructure engineering, compliance and active incident readiness.

AWS · Azure · Google Cloud +7

• Reading
• Hybrid
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Owns functional and system-level testing of spacecraft and verification tracking for each satellite campaign, taking satellites from integrated subsystems to flight-ready, fully verified vehicles. Bridges systems engineering, subsystem teams and AIT functions, turning requirements into test procedures, leading test campaigns and closing out requirements with traceable evidence. Hands-on with EGSE, checkout systems and RF test equipment in a SmallSat environment.

OpenC3/COSMOS · Yamcs · SCOS-2000 +7