Senior Scientist / Engineer - Time & Frequency

NPL
10 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Senior Electronics Technician - Space Systems Lead

Senior Commissioning Engineer - Process / EICA

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Senior Clean Water Modeller

Senior Software Engineer

Senior Criticality Physicist - Submarines

Our world-leading Time & Frequency department seek an experienced and practicing Senior Scientist / Engineer. 

You will be joining our team at an exciting time - we maintain the UK’s National Time Scale, UTC (NPL), and are currently developing a new resilient Time Scale facility that will underpin our Critical National Infrastructure. This will address the risks associated with our dependency on global navigation satellite systems (such as GPS) that are vulnerable to both natural and intentional interference.

As Senior Scientist / Engineer, you will join a multi-disciplinary team of Scientists and Engineers in our National Timing Centre to develop new Time and Frequency infrastructure within the UK. You'll enjoy a pivotal role in creating robust systems for ground- and satellite-based Time and Frequency dissemination, based on Atomic Clocks located at several UK sites.

This will include testing and implementation of:

  • Satellite communication
  • Optical fibre, and
  • GNSS-based and monitoring subsystems

Key responsibilities:

  • Leading a team of System Engineers and Scientists to deliver high-quality projects to time, quality and cost
  • Design and implementation of hardware and software for satellite communication, optical fibre and GNSS-based time and frequency transfer techniques for comparing distant atomic clocks
  • Developing novel time dissemination systems, equipment and applications to support UK sovereign and industry needs
  • Collaborating with wider teams to innovate high-specification solutions
  • Interacting with internal and external stakeholders to determine their needs and meet their expectations
Excitingly, this role offers opportunities to partner with external organisations and work from multiple sites within the UK.

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.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in Space Sector Job Applications (UK Guide)

The space industry is one of the most exciting and multidisciplinary sectors in technology and engineering today. Whether you’re applying for roles in spacecraft design, aerospace systems, robotics, satellite communications, mission operations, payload engineering, space software, ground systems, or scientific research, your application must quickly show hiring managers that you are relevant, technically credible and ready to deliver. In the UK space jobs market — spanning organisations from startups to defence primes, agencies, research labs and commercial constellations — hiring managers do not read every word of your CV. They scan applications rapidly, often making a judgement about whether to read further within the first 10–20 seconds. This guide breaks down exactly what hiring managers look for first in space sector applications, how they assess CVs and portfolios, why specific signals matter, and how you can position your experience to stand out on www.ukspacejobs.co.uk .

The Skills Gap in UK Space Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching

The UK space sector is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing high-tech industries in the world. From Earth observation and satellite communications to space robotics, launch systems and deep-space exploration, the breadth of opportunity is enormous. The UK Government’s ambition to capture a significant share of the global space economy has driven investment, policy support and a wave of innovative companies — both established and start-up. Yet despite strong academic programmes and a pipeline of graduates with relevant degrees, employers in the UK space sector consistently report a persistent problem: Many graduates are not prepared for real-world space industry jobs. This is not a matter of intelligence or motivation. Rather, it reflects a growing skills gap between what universities are teaching and what employers actually need from space professionals. In this article, we’ll explore why that gap exists, what universities are doing well, where they fall short, what employers want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build thriving careers in the UK space sector.

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).