Field Station Engineer

Foundational; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EMI share options (UK employees)

25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays

Enhanced Parental Leave

Cycle to work schemes

Office in central London

Job summary

Foundational in London is expanding its ground-based laser ranging network. The Field Station Engineer will install, commission and maintain stations across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia, turning crates of hardware into working stations.

The role requires extensive travel to remote sites, fault diagnosis on-site and remotely, preventive maintenance, and documentation. You will collaborate with host-site staff and contractors while upholding safety standards.

Qualifications

• Field engineering experience with complex electro-mechanical or optical systems.
• Experience with electrical, mechanical and networking work.
• Willingness to travel for weeks at a time, often to remote sites.
• Safety-minded approach and able to work alone.
• Hold 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

Electrical work

Mechanical work

Networking work

Travel readiness

Job description

Field Station Engineer

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 Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. 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, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.

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. Building the best team is our priority.