Graduate Spacecraft OR Mission Systems Engineer

Astroscale UK is looking for a Systems Engineer to help design and develop complex space systems, working with engineers, project managers, customers, and suppliers to define requirements, evaluate technical trade-offs, manage risks, and mature system architectures throughout the product lifecycle.

You will work in the team that is the technical linchpin of Astroscale UK, keeping our ambitious space systems projects, both early and late in product lifecycle, rolling towards key milestones.

You’ll learn from a team of experienced systems engineers, who between them have several decades of experience in designing and delivering complex space systems. You will collaborate with diverse sets of engineers and project managers to facilitate trade-offs and mature system architectures and designs. The end goal is a technical solution that balances customer and internal needs and meets all performance requirements.

Given an anticipated high response to this opportunity, we will only be leaving applications open until 5pm Wednesday 2nd September. We will then send candidates who meet the essential requirements an exercise to complete, which will need to be returned within a week (9th September). Interviews will then be scheduled following a review of the exercise outputs. If you are unable to commit to this timeline, please do consider whether this is the right time to apply. 

Responsibilities 

• Help define the mission concepts, requirements, and timelines/profiles based on customer needs and stakeholder inputs, then mature and deliver a system the meets those customer needs and mission requirements

• Systems thinking approach and ability to see past trivial details and identify key drivers for system design, performance, risk and cost

• Present trade-off analyses based on objective system analyses and engineering judgment and experience for early and late lifecycle engineering systems

• Design baseline and change management across the entire system lifecycle

• Work with key stakeholders (project managers, company leadership, customers, suppliers) to help find consensus on critical technical topics

• Help negotiate and implement effective action plans for technical deliverables and risk mitigations with engineers and other technical people of different backgrounds

• Use discussion with subject-matter experts and their analysis results to derive technical risks at mission and system levels

• Communicate issues and risks effectively to other technical stakeholders such that everyone is on the same page of task schedule and scope

• Discuss system-level technical issues with non-technical people of different backgrounds and come to a common understanding, acceptable compromises and clear technical status

Essential Skills

• A university degree in engineering, physics, maths or other relevant technical discipline

• The ability to explain technical issues to both technical non-experts (in a given domain) and non-technical project stakeholders

• The ability to comfortably and clearly speak about technical topics in front of engineers and project managers

• A knack for seeing the bigger picture in a technical project while still keeping a handle on the most important details

• Good organisation of tasks, details, and notes leading to clear thinking on complex technical problems that need many people to solve

• Experience with scientific and engineering computing (Can be Python, C++, MATLAB/Simulink, etc. It’s the understanding of the concepts and computational thinking that count)

Desirable skills

• 1+ years’ experience of space system engineering or engineering of similarly complex systems (can be through internships, work placements, hands-on university projects, etc.)

• Working knowledge of one or more satellite subsystems (avionics, command and data handling, power, thermal, GNC, AOCS, etc.)

• Exposure to requirements engineering, verification planning, interface control or configuration-controlled technical documentation.

• Good knowledge of orbital mechanics and spaceflight dynamics.

• Familiarity with spacecraft AIT, system functional testing, spacecraft test beds or TMTC.

• Interest in or exposure to mission operations, commissioning or operational preparation.

• Familiarity with ECSS and other space industry standards.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary

• Opportunity to work with a highly talented, diverse & dynamic international team with cutting edge technology

• Flexible working around core hours in a friendly and supportive environment

• Optional 9/75 working pattern

• Hybrid working available (dependent on individual role requirements)

• 25 days holiday (increasing yearly up to a maximum of 28 days) + 8 days Bank Holiday

• Life insurance and long-term sick pay

• Private healthcare (taxable benefit)

• Relocation allowance

• State of the art office and cleanroom facility

• Regular social events 

About Astroscale               

Founded in 2013, Astroscale is the global leader in on-orbit servicing, dedicated to the secure and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations. We provide trusted and value-added solutions for government and commercial clients from their geography of choice, to drive the long-term, circular space economy. Astroscale is also collaborating with government and commercial stakeholders to develop norms, regulations, and incentives that promote the sustainable growth of space.

Since our first successful launch in March 2021, Astroscale has proven rendezvous and proximity operations technologies in orbit during the ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions, establishing the company as a leader in on-orbit servicing. Astroscale spacecraft have been selected for pioneering missions with JAXA, the U.S. Space Force, the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency, and Eutelsat OneWeb. As more satellite operators adopt on-orbit servicing to routinely inspect, service and remove, the potential of a circular space economy — and a future of no waste in space — is being unlocked.

At Astroscale we pride ourselves on our inclusive culture. Our essential criteria are based solely on the requirements necessary to perform the role. If any criteria could present a barrier, we are open to discussing reasonable adjustments and are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process. Astrsocale is also open to supporting job share arrangements, to further our flexible working offering.