Chief Engineer (UK Programmes)

Lúnasa Ltd.; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Lúnasa is a UK-based NewSpace company in London seeking an experienced Chief Engineer to lead technical direction across space technologies and missions. You will oversee system architecture, design, integration, testing and verification of autonomous spacecraft navigation, rendezvous and in-orbit servicing.

As Chief Engineer you will coordinate a multidisciplinary team, enforce rigorous engineering processes, and drive delivery from early development to flight-ready systems, shaping the next

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years industry experience in space or related field.
• Proven ability to define architectures, requirements and verification strategies.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across software, GNC/AOCS, mechanical, electrical and avionics.
• Experience across full spacecraft lifecycle from concept to flight readiness.
• Strong judgment and problem-solving, with ability to balance performance, cost and schedule.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and engineering authority across spacecraft technologies and missions.
• Own the technical integrity of projects from requirements to delivery.
• Translate needs into system-level requirements, architectures and plans.
• Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and coordinate reviews.
• Ensure robust systems engineering practices and configuration control.
• Oversee technical reviews such as PDRs, CDRs and TRRs.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks with testing and verification strategies.
• Mentor engineers and help build a high-performing engineering organization.

Skills

System architecture

Systems engineering

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

GNC/AOCS

Flight readiness

Job description

Lúnasa is a UK-based NewSpace company (acquired by Infinite Orbits) building advanced and autonomous systems and satellites for in-orbit satellite services. Our mission is to provide geostationary operators with all the in-orbit services they need, from the inspection of their assets to the extension of their lifespan and the management of the end-of-life phase.

The company has received multiple contracts from the UK Space Agency and ESA to build and deploy AI-based satellite rendezvous proximity operations (RPO) technology and is set to demonstrate the innovation in space by 2027.

Location: London(on-site)
Salary: Competitive
This position is for a candidate who has the right to work in the UK.

Job Summary:

We are looking for an experienced Chief Engineer to provide technical leadership across Lúnasa’s growing portfolio of advanced space technologies and missions. This key role will act as the technical authority across our engineering programmes, overseeing system architecture, design, development, integration, testing and verification of technologies for autonomous spacecraft navigation, rendezvous and proximity operations, inspection and in-orbit satellite servicing.

The Chief Engineer will lead and coordinate our multidisciplinary engineering team, ensuring technical excellence, robust engineering processes and successful delivery from early-stage development through to flight-ready systems. We are looking for a world-class engineering leader with strong spacecraft and systems engineering experience to join our high-performing team and help shape the next generation of autonomous in-orbit servicing technologies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide overall technical leadership and engineering authority across Lúnasa’s spacecraft technologies, products and mission-development programmes.
• Own the technical integrity of projects from requirements definition and system architecture through detailed design, integration, verification, validation and delivery.
• Translate mission and customer needs into clear system-level requirements, architectures, interfaces and engineering development plans.
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ensure robust systems-engineering practices including requirements management, interface control, design justification, verification planning and configuration/change control.
• Chair and lead technical reviews including requirements reviews, architecture reviews, PDRs, CDRs, TRRs and other engineering gates.
• Make and approve key technical decisions and engineering trade-offs, balancing performance, risk, cost, schedule, manufacturability and mission requirements.
• Identify and manage technical risks, ensuring appropriate mitigation, testing and verification strategies are implemented.
• Oversee spacecraft and subsystem integration, laboratory testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing and qualification/verification activities.
• Work closely with Infinite Orbits engineering and mission teams to ensure compatibility between Lúnasa-developed technologies and wider group spacecraft architectures and missions.
• Provide technical oversight of suppliers, subcontractors, universities and engineering partners.
• Support customer and institutional technical engagements with organisations including UK Space Agency, ESA, UK government and defence stakeholders.
• Provide technical leadership for proposals, feasibility studies and future mission concepts, including definition of technical scope, development roadmaps, TRL progression and engineering effort.
• Mentor and develop engineers, establish engineering standards and processes, and help build a high-performing engineering organisation as Lúnasa scales.

Essential Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 7 years industry experience, preferably in the space industry (or similar)
• Strong spacecraft systems engineering expertise, with a proven ability to define system architectures, requirements, interfaces and verification strategies across complex space systems.
• Technical leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and provide technical direction across software, GNC/AOCS, mechanical, electrical, avionics and AIT disciplines.
• Experience across the full spacecraft development lifecycle, from concept and requirements definition through PDR/CDR, detailed design, integration, verification, qualification and flight readiness.
• Excellent engineering judgement and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make and defend complex technical decisions, conduct engineering trade-offs and manage technical risks while balancing performance, cost and schedule.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical matters clearly to engineers, senior management, customers, partners and institutional stakeholders, and to lead technical reviews and customer-facing discussions