Field Station Engineer

Lumi Space; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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25 days annual leave

Enhanced parental leave

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Foundational in London seeks a Field Station Engineer to install, commission and maintain laser ranging stations across multiple continents. The role is on-site and requires travel to remote sites for weeks at a time, turning crates of hardware into a working station and keeping it running.

You will work with a small, skilled team and feed field lessons back into design and procedures, writing clear site reports and installation documentation to support ongoing operations.

Qualifications

• Field engineering experience with complex electro-mechanical or optical systems.
• Comfort with electrical, mechanical and networking work.
• Willingness to travel for weeks at a time, often to remote sites.
• A resourceful, calm and safety-minded approach when working alone.
• A full driving licence and a valid passport.

Responsibilities

• Install and commission stations: telescope, laser, enclosure, power and network.
• Diagnose and fix faults, both on site and remotely.
• Carry out preventive maintenance and upgrades across the network.
• Work with host-site staff and local contractors.
• Feed lessons from the field back into design and procedures.
• Write clear site reports and installation documentation.

Skills

Field engineering

Electro-mechanical systems

Optical systems

Travel

Job description

Field Station Engineer

This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.

About us

Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.

We design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.

Our station network is expanding across continents. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.

We're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, and Innovate UK.

Position Overview

London · Full time · On-site

You'll install, commission and maintain our laser ranging stations at remote sites across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. You'll turn crates of hardware into a working station, then keep it running.

What you'll do

• Install and commission stations: telescope, laser, enclosure, power and network
• Diagnose and fix faults, both on site and remotely
• Carry out preventive maintenance and upgrades across the network
• Work with host-site staff and local contractors
• Feed lessons from the field back into design and procedures
• Write clear site reports and installation documentation

What you'll bring

• Field engineering experience with complex electro-mechanical or optical systems
• Comfort with electrical, mechanical and networking work
• Willingness to travel for weeks at a time, often to remote sites
• A resourceful, calm and safety-minded approach when working alone
• A full driving licence and a valid passport

Nice to have

• Observatory, telescope or lidar experience
• Laser safety training
• Spanish speaking

What We Offer

• A high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company
• EMI share options (UK employees)
• 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Cycle to work schemes
• Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics
• Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials

We actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.