Head of Research and Development

Background: The UK Space Agency: 

The UK Space Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision. 

Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons. 

We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country. 

Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development.  We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes. 

We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency. 

More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency 

To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU

Our Inclusive Environment

We have an inclusive culture to make UK Space Agency a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.

The UK Space Agency has a broad portfolio across launch, science and exploration and national technology activities and the Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) sits at the heart of the organisation providing technical leadership and insight.

The OCE serves as principal adviser to the CEO/Deputy CEO and other senior officials across Government on matters pertaining to the technical readiness and execution of UK Space Agency programmes and projects. The team acts as a competent and agile technical authority, providing impartial, cross-directorate support to the UK Space Agency and wider Government, with the flexibility to adapt and change as the needs of the UK Space Agency evolve. The OCE also allows the UK Space Agency to perform internal technical feasibility studies necessary for technology road-mapping and exploring mission concepts e.g. Earth Observation (EO), Science, Exploration, Launch etc. We are seeking a multi-disciplinary engineer with a broad range of experience in space missions to become the Head of Research and Development (R&D) within the OCE.

The OCE has two functional branches – Systems Engineering, which focuses on technical assurance and oversight of UK Space Agency projects, and R&D, which focuses on feasibility studies and developing technical evidence to support future policy. The OCE currently has four capability or skill streams with team members who work across these two functional areas: Space Systems, Mission Systems, Launch Systems and Payload Systems. This role, Head of R&D, will lead the work performed by the OCE on feasibility studies and the development of technical evidence to support policy on a range of topics from space debris mitigation/space sustainability to future missions’ concepts across Earth Observation and Exploration. The Head of R&D reports into the Chief Engineer at the UK Space Agency, who will maintain overall technical leadership and accountability for the OCE activities. As Head of R&D you will be responsible for directing and overseeing the R&D activities for the Office which will include collating requirements across the UK Space Agency and wider, directing internal team and external research, maintaining quality and ensuring the team has access to the right tools and software to deliver credible outputs. A key aspect of this will be ensuring the OCE continue to deliver timely and impacting technical evidence and that the outputs of this research is used to provide thought leadership at a range of national and international forums. The Head of R&D will initially have 3 direct reports for line management purposes but the functional area will be responsible for directing/overseeing the entire team. As the Head of R&D within the OCE you will also work closely with the delivery teams across the UKSA to provide: technical oversight/assurance of technology development activities, support to system design reviews for missions with UK involvement, management and delivery of technical feasibility studies, mission analysis for UK missions and support to expert working groups at international forums such as Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), United Nations Committee On the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Science and Technical Sub-Committee (UNCOPUOS STSC) etc.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the engineering team built at the heart of the UK Space Agency, where you will have the opportunity to work on a range of exiting projects from human spaceflight to launch and collaborate with organisations across the UK space sector.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership to the R&D and technical evidence products delivered by the OCE both in day-to-day delivery and horizon scanning future needs/interests
• Act as key technical stakeholder on a range of UK Space Agency programmes and projects, delivering technical advice/recommendations to senior officials within UK
• Represent the UK at key international forums, leading/supporting policy negotiations or participating in expert working groups
• Act as technical lead for internal/external feasibility studies or R&D in response to requirements across the UK Space Agency

UK Space Agency Generic Responsibilities (This is a requirement of all posts)

• Ensure compliance with statutory and legal provisions as set out in the UK Space Agency’s policies and procedures. In particular in relation to: Financial Regulations, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, Health and Safety, Civil Service Code, Data Protection & the Official Secrets Act. 
• Comply with the behaviours and standard requisites as relevant to your post as detailed in your job description, person specification and take responsibility for continuing self-development, participating in training and development activities as required or requested by your line manager. 
• Attend meetings as required some of which may be outside normal working hours 

The above-mentioned tasks and responsibilities are neither inclusive nor exhaustive. The post holder may be called upon to carry out such other appropriate duties as may be required by the Chief Executive and/or senior officer(s) within the grading level of the post and the competence of the post holder. 

The post-holder will need to have a strong technical background, with demonstrated experience in the design and/or delivery of space hardware. The post-holder will typically need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in most of the following disciplines: 

Essential criteria

• Minimum of degree level knowledge of an engineering, scientific or mathematical discipline
• Significant experience in successfully establishing, leading and reviewing large or complex space engineering projects with direct involvement in the various phases of the space mission/project life-cycle from formulation to implementation
• Demonstrated proficiency in and knowledge of a broad range of space engineering disciplines across spacecraft mission, system, subsystem, payload and ground segment design, characterisation and analysis
• Demonstrated proficiency in the management of Research and Development activities
• Demonstrated ability to convey complex engineering/scientific topics to a variety of audiences including a proven publication track record
• Recent experience of leading teams including line management and developing people across an organisation.

Desirable criteria

Although not essential, demonstrated experience in one or more of the areas below would be an advantage to the applicant:

• Previous experience of working closely with academia to deliver research projects
• Detailed understanding of the UK and European Space Industrial Landscape
• Proven experience of working with and successfully leading projects for UK and International Governmental organisations
• Demonstrated experience of leading the preparation of successful proposals to government or commercial customers for large space activities
• Demonstrated involvement in the development of international best practice or standards
• Demonstrated involvement in the development of technologies from proof-of-concept to demonstration in a relevant environment

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• R&D Management
• Space Project Experience
• Space System Architecture and Engineering

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• R&D Management

UKSA offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.

• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.

• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.

• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.

• Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts

• A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.

• This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this).  If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

• The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Job contact :

• Name : Andrew Ratcliffe
• Email : andrew.ratcliffe@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : uksarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk