Systems Engineer - Space

You will do the analysis and ship the code, turning mission and spacecraft design problems into the models, tools, and trade studies the constellation programme runs on. You will also act as a technical expert on satellite and mission design, challenging partner and supplier designs alongside your own analysis work.

What you'll do

• Run mission analysis for constellation design, for example orbit selection, revisit and coverage, or launch and disposal.
• Own requirements flowdown, system budgets (mass, power, link), and the interfaces between segments.
• Build and maintain the analysis tooling the rest of the team relies on, to production standards.
• Act as the technical expert for satellite system design, including subsystems.
• Drive trade studies across subsystems and segments. Present the results to internal teams, partners, and the customer.

What you'll need

• A master's or PhD in aerospace engineering, physics, or a related field, with hands-on work on at least one flown or near-flight space programme.
• Fluency in orbit mechanics and mission analysis, with tools such as GMAT, FreeFlyer, STK, or Orekit. You can work from first principles where no tool exists.
• A working grasp of spacecraft systems engineering across requirements, budgets, interfaces, and verification.
• Recognised depth in at least one subsystem, for example AOCS and GNC, propulsion, power, thermal, or TT&C and RF.
• Several years of production-grade software work in a large, shared codebase, with code review, continuous integration, testing, and documentation. Python, plus at least one of Rust or modern C++.
• Strong mathematics and physics, for example linear algebra, numerical methods, and error budgets.

Nice to have

• Optimisation background: convex and mixed-integer methods, evolutionary or heuristic approaches, or trajectory and scheduling optimisation.
• Model-based systems engineering, for example SysML or Capella, or digital twin experience.
• Machine learning applied to engineering problems, for example surrogate models for costly simulations.
• Earth observation, SAR, or ISR mission experience.

What they offer

• Competitive salary and VSOP options
• Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation
• Learning: €500/£450 yearly allowance
• Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health)
• Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers