International Relations Manager

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.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the International Relations team as the UK Space Agency looks to significantly bolster its international bilateral relationships with partner space agencies around the world.  

The International Relations team collaboratively builds and sustains strategic international relationships to support the growth of the UK space sector. Our team works across the UK Space Agency priority areas to identify and target international opportunities which deliver on our value proposition. To find out more about UK Space Agency’s priority areas and value proposition please see the Corporate Plan 2022-25 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-space-agency-corporate-plan-2022-25   

The International Relations team is committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. You will be joining a friendly and supportive team that values each other’s work, respects each other’s knowledge and expertise, and are committed to adaptability, flexibility and creativity to support UK Space Agency priorities.  

Key Responsibilities

You will be responsible for important areas of the UK Space Agency’s international policy, including:

• Manage UK Space Agency activities for the UK-France/Germany Relationships, working closely with their space agencies and the teams in UK Space Agency who oversee the UK Space Agency-European Space Agency relationship.
• Support the coordination of UK Space Agency responses into multilateral institutions and, where appropriate, establishing effective relationships across governments.
• Supporting development of the UK Space Agency’s international policy and strategy by managing UK Space Agency’s relationship with external stakeholders with an interest in space (e.g. Satellite Applications Catapult, Innovate UK etc.)
• Manage internal cross-agency coordination for international activities, including monthly working group secretariat functions.
• Support delivery of international events and associated communications activity.
• Form and maintain effective partnerships with stakeholders across Government, industry and internationally from a diverse range of backgrounds, sharing information, expertise, and resources. 
• Work across Whitehall and internationally to ensure space is championed at every opportunity. 
• Work flexibly across the International relations team supporting wider European activities.
• Brief senior government and space agency officials ahead of high-profile international engagements, such as state visits, conferences, and other major events. 

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.

Essential criteria

• Ability to rapidly build effective relationships with multiple stakeholders, including internationally 
• Ability to collaborate and find creative solutions to problems and work independently
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to translate complex issues into user-friendly language 
• Experience of briefing senior leaders.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in international/foreign policy
• Previous experience in/knowledge of space sector 
• Experience organising/managing events. 

Occasional travel overseas may be required.  

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

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 : Sinead Russell
• Email : Sinead.Russell@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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