Systems Team Lead

Astroscale is seeking to employ an experienced and motivated Systems Engineer as Team Lead at our state of the art facility based in Harwell, UK.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to join our dynamic and rapidly growing company. If you are seeking to make a positive contribution to the growing problem of orbital debris, and have the skill to motivate and inspire our team, then this role will allow you work collaboratively to shape solutions for our missions from a Spacecraft Systems perspective.

As a Team Lead within the Systems team, you will be responsible for line managing members of the team as well as taking the lead on project work. Therefore, you need to be a senior engineer with hands-on experience of working on spacecraft systems and be at a level where you can come in and start contributing to the projects straight away.

Normally each engineering team has a single team lead, however due to the growing size of the systems team Astroscale is looking to appoint two system team leads.

Whilst you will primarily work in the UK at our new state of the art Harwell Office, you will also work extensively with a larger team in Astroscale’s Japan Office. You may be required to travel to Tokyo as needed in support of Astroscale projects and operations or elsewhere in Europe to consult with suppliers and support system testing.

We are a fast-growing company where you can expand on your experience and develop your skills further to enable your team to deliver amazing results. Your role will help us make a difference every day by ensuring the Systems team is well placed to drive forward our missions and help to make space safer and more sustainable for future generations.

Responsibilities

• Line management of team members. This includes helping resolve blockers to their work, prioritising their work, conducting appraisals and conducting probation reviews.
• Planning the technical work for the systems team members. Assigning tasks appropriately and effectively taking team member skillsets and abilities in to account
• Overall responsibility for the technical output of the people being managed
• Identify skillset and headcount/labour shortfalls in context of current and upcoming team workload
• Work with the group manager to create a plan together to address resource shortfalls (including permanent hiring, temporary hiring and/or outsourcing solutions)
• Support recruitment by reviewing CVs and conducting interviews for positions in your team
• Create a plan to address the development needs of the existing team members
• When time allows, supporting the team by assisting with technical engineering work. The ability to do this will depend upon the number of people being managed. Engineering technical work performed by the team includes:
  • The development of spacecraft mission and system design including requirements derivation and CONOPS definition.
  • Rapid feasibility studies into different scenarios and architectures
  • Performing mission analysis and modelling of spacecraft missions as well as Trade-off and control platform systems budgets e.g. mass, power, data, fuel.
  • Maintaining the configuration control of systems work and documentation
  • Coordinate with other teams at sub-system and system level to define development and verification plans.
  • Assist with bid work, providing technical solutions and documentation.
  • Interactions with partners and suppliers for the provision of spacecraft equipment.
  • Support engineers with testing, requirements verification, analysis of test data and correlation with technical models.
  • Guide a multi-disciplined team in the delivery of projects.

Essential Skills

 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrates good organisational skills. Ability to construct plans that are realistic and deliver against them.
• Demonstrates mindset of 'team interests and plan first' above personal plan and work
• Experience in leading work packages and small engineering projects.
• At least 5 years work experience as a systems engineer for a spacecraft mission
• Knowledge of the systems and project engineering lifecycle from requirements definition through to verification, including experience of leading or planning for project review gates in satellite engineering e.g. SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.
• Experience in mission and systems architecture definition and CONOPS, especially understanding of both space and ground segment interaction.
• Good knowledge of a range of subsystems & engineering teams including: GNC (AOCS, ADCS), astrodynamics, C&DH / OBDH, EPS, RCS (propulsion), COM (communications), software, ground segment & operations.
• Experience in the development of systems engineering documentation working with a Project Manager as needed: requirements, CONOPS, review gate materials, test and verification plans / procedures, DDVP, ICDs, equipment lists, FMECA & FTAs
• Awareness of the AIT process: manufacture, assembly, functional and environmental testing.
• A basic knowledge in the following areas: debris removal, end-of-life, in-orbit maintenance or servicing.
• Diploma; bachelor or master’s degree in systems engineering, electrical engineering, or another relevant discipline.
  

Desired Skills

 

• 10+ years of commercial experience in a Systems Engineering role for satellite platform architecture. 
• An understanding of, or experience in other project matters: project management, procurement, bid support, manufacturing.
• Knowledge of commonly used engineering and modelling packages (e.g. ModelSim, Matlab, STK) and/or coding and scripting languages (e.g. Python) applied to real world engineering applications.
• Knowledge of the area around debris removal including: licensing, export, regulation, space law.
• Knowledge of past missions of relevance: RemoveDebris, CleanSpace / ESA projects e.g. e.DeOrbit, DEOS, ATV, ETS-7
• Whilst the working language across all Astroscale divisions is English, proficiency in spoken and/or written Japanese would be considered an asset.
  

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
• 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
• Visa sponsorship for employees considered
• New state of the art office and cleanroom facility
• Regular social events 
  

Location

Astroscale UK (Harwell), with potential for some travel to Astroscale Japan (Tokyo)

About Astroscale

We aim to deliver cutting edge technologies that will become part of routine commercial space operations by 2030.

Astroscale is the first private company with a vision to secure the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations, and the only company dedicated to in-orbit servicing across all orbits. Founded in 2013, we are developing innovative and scalable solutions across the spectrum of in-orbit servicing missions, including End of Life services, Active Debris Removal, In-situ Space Situational Awareness and Life Extension Services, to create sustainable space systems and mitigate against the hazardous build-up of debris in space.

Astroscale is an Equal Opportunities employer and embraces a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants, including minorities, women and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Note to recruitment agencies: Astroscale operates a preferred Supplier List, and we do not accept unsolicited agency approaches. Please do not forward candidate CVs or details in response to this advert, or to any Astroscale employee.