Ground Segment Systems Team Lead

The Ground Systems Team Lead engineer plays a key leading role in the Ground Systems Team, with a high level of autonomy and responsibility including providing technical expertise and mentoring team members. 

You are involved in the whole ground segment development process, from conceptual design to maintenance. The candidate will be involved in all the infrastructure and software on ground that is critical to safely operate a mission. 

This is a key role with a critical responsibility to efficiently interface between the Mission & Systems team and the Operations team, as well as the Ground Segment Software teams. This gives the candidate the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of the ground segment, as well as participating to operational activities in the Astroscale Mission Control Centre. 

Responsibilities 

Main Technical Responsibilities

• Own the Ground Segment system architecture, requirements and technical baseline across all subsystems.
• Lead requirements capture, derivation, allocation, traceability and compliance management.
• Define and lead Ground Segment integration, verification and validation activities, including subsystem, system, simulation and end-to-end testing.
• Ensure coherence of interfaces, data flows, configuration and releases across Ground Segment components.
• Provide technical leadership through design reviews, technical governance and acceptance of subsystem deliveries.
• Support the development of Ground Segment systems and software, including mission control, mission planning and ground station interfaces.
• Define appropriate engineering and development approaches, and support implementation, solution testing and delivery.
• Act as the technical interface to suppliers and key internal stakeholders across engineering and operations.
• Support mission operations through troubleshooting, maintenance, training and resolution of technical issues.
• Produce and maintain engineering documentation and contribute to bids, planning, risk management and technical reporting.

Team Lead Responsibilities

• Line management of 4-6 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 team members.  Assigning tasks appropriately and effectively taking team member skillsets and abilities into account
• Overall accountability for the team’s technical output.
• 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.

Essential Skills

• University degree in Computer Science, Telecommunications, or other relevant engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of industry experience in the design and development of satellite user or ground segment products and technologies.
• Knowledge of C/C++, Java and or Python programming languages.
• Knowledge of the main components of a ground segment and how they interact between them.
• Team leadership – ability to lead small team of ground systems engineers.
• Operations experience and ability to interact with spacecraft operations engineers.
• Knowledge of project life cycle and acceptance procedures
• Knowledge of ECSS standards.
• Experience designing and developing software.
• Software product development experience: requirement, design, development, integration & testing, deployment, maintenance

Desirable skills

• 2+ years of experience managing a team of systems engineers
• 8+ years of industry experience in the design and development of satellite user or ground segment products and technologies.
• Experience or knowledge of Scrum as being part of development team or Product Owner.
• Experience with Mission Control Systems, preferably based on SCOS-2000.
• Familiarity with commonly used protocols and standards for spacecraft communications, such as CCSDS, CAN, Spacewire.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

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

Location

Astroscale UK (Harwell).

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.

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.