Head of Future Air and Space

Corserv
Cornwall
1 year ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Supply Chain Programme Manager

Shift Production Manager

Head of Engineering

Head of Discipline – Propulsion Systems

IT Graduate

Head of Commercial

Role Purpose

To develop and deliver Spaceport’s commercial strategy and pipeline, focussing on future aerospace and launch related activity, building the space related property and consultancy cluster at Cornwall Airport Newquay. You will continue to stimulate and develop the future air and space activities locally and regionally, building on the success of the first UK launch from Spaceport Cornwall, transitioning into a routine and sustainable operation.

About the role

As Spaceport’s Commercial Lead, you’ll play a key role as part of the Airport’s senior leadership team. The role is responsible for the future air and space development activity at Cornwall Airport Newquay, you will deliver on the vision to leverage Cornwall’s unique opportunity to lead Space activity for the UK.

You will need to be quick off the mark to understand Cornwall’s current position in the Aerospace industry, working within a functioning commercial airport that can pivot to accommodate Future Air and Space activity efficiently and safely within short timeframes.

You will need to engage regularly with multiple businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies to ensure your strategy and visions are aligned with regards to commercial development and funding opportunities.

You will engage with the local community and national media to keep Spaceport Cornwall at the forefront of their mind, and on the global stage.

You’ll be someone that gets things done and makes things happen, and you’ll be creative, innovative, and tenacious in your approach.

You’ll be accountable for c.£m revenue budgets and c.£m expenditure budgets.

What you'll be doing


• Vision and strategy
o Maintain and deliver Spaceport Cornwall’s future air and space strategy, in support of the vision to make Cornwall a ‘destination’ for Air and Spaceport related activities.
o Engage with local, regional, and national stakeholders to communicate the future air and space vision and strategy.
o Influence local, regional, and national policies and legislation to support the Spaceport strategy. 
o Integrate the Spaceport strategy with local and national government policies, identifying and securing funding opportunities to drive growth.

• Business development 
o Implement, maintain, and report the sales pipeline for the future air and space opportunities and projects.
o Develop and deliver Spaceport’s pipeline including launch activities, commercial partnerships, and opportunities to locate related business on-site that will drive the aerospace eco-system. 
o Understand government strategy, sourcing funding calls and writing bids and grant proposals alongside the team.
o Develop a partnership plan, cultivating commercial partnerships in support of the Spaceport strategy.
o Lead on all commercial negotiations and funding activities to deliver a steady pipeline of new business opportunities.

• Project delivery, team management and leadership 
o Be responsible for management and reporting of the future air and space related budgets.
o Provide management and reporting on project progress, delivery, and status, working with the wider airport team to secure and deliver future air and space business opportunities and projects. 
o Lead, inspire and develop your team.

• Engagement
o Forge successful partnerships with academic organisations to harness talent, attract funding and develop a wider eco-system
o Ensure the Spaceport continues to achieve a high profile across the aerospace industry, continually being positioned front of mind with industry executives.
o Use market research/insight and analysis to produce business plans/recommendations.
o Represent the company externally at networking events, conferences and exhibitions to enhance and strengthen the company’s profile and optimise all business development opportunities.
o Work across the Aerohub business park and airport with internal and external stakeholders to drive new ideas from concept to delivery.

If you wish to discuss the opportunity in more detail please email

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

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

UK Space Jobs for Career Switchers in Their 30s, 40s & 50s (UK Reality Check)

The UK space sector is no longer a niche reserved for astronauts and rocket scientists. It is a broad, fast-growing industry covering satellites, Earth observation, navigation, telecoms, space data, launch services, space sustainability and defence-related capability. That breadth creates genuine career opportunities for professionals switching careers in their 30s, 40s or 50s — especially in roles where delivery, quality, operations, safety, regulation and customer outcomes matter as much as pure engineering. This article gives you a UK reality check: what space jobs actually look like, which roles are realistic for career switchers, what skills UK employers value, how long retraining tends to take and whether age is a barrier (usually far less than people fear).

How to Write a Space Industry Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

The UK space sector is growing rapidly. From satellite manufacturing and launch services to Earth observation, space data, communications and downstream applications, organisations across the UK are hiring engineers, scientists, software specialists and operations professionals to support increasingly complex space missions. Yet many employers struggle to attract the right candidates. Space industry job adverts often receive very few applications, or attract candidates whose experience does not align with the realities of space programmes. At the same time, experienced space professionals frequently ignore adverts that feel vague, over-ambitious or disconnected from how space projects actually operate. In most cases, the issue is not a lack of talent — it is the clarity and quality of the job advert. Space professionals are systems-focused, risk-aware and highly selective. A poorly written job ad signals weak programme maturity and unrealistic expectations. A clear, well-written one signals credibility, technical seriousness and long-term intent. This guide explains how to write a space industry job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a credible employer in the UK space sector.

Maths for Space Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

UK space careers can look intimidating from the outside. Job adverts mention “systems engineering” “mission assurance” “GN&C” “RF” “payloads” “flight dynamics” “verification” “ECSS” & suddenly you’re wondering if you need a maths degree just to apply. You don’t. For most UK space jobs, the maths you actually use clusters into a handful of practical topics that map directly to real work across satellites, launch, ground segment, downstream data, mission ops & space software. This article strips it down to what matters most for job readiness plus a 6-week learning plan, portfolio projects & a resources section you can use immediately. UK space is also actively focused on growth & skills. The government’s National Space Strategy sets ambitions to grow the UK’s space ecosystem & spread employment across the UK. The Space Sector Skills Survey 2023 highlights recruitment challenges plus the importance of new skills & technologies including AI & ML. Recent industry reporting also estimates UK space industry employment at 55,550 FTEs plus wider supply-chain jobs. So learning the right maths is not an academic exercise. It’s a practical way to widen the roles you can credibly target.