Mission Concept Engineer

Jobtailor; Harwell; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Harwell, United Kingdom, is seeking a space mission design specialist responsible for defining concepts across space, ground, and launch segments. You will perform orbital and power analyses and support bid writing while collaborating with engineering and management teams.

You will develop analytical tools, perform risk assessments, and gather market intelligence to inform technical decisions. Strong writing and cross‑functional collaboration are essential in this role.

Qualifications

• Sound understanding of space mission design principles and system trade‑offs.
• Strong mathematical and analytical capability including power and link-budget calculations.
• Proficiency with modelling and simulation tools such as MATLAB and Python, STK is a plus.
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes and cross‑segment integration.
• Understanding of proposal development, technical writing, and documentation standards.
• Ability to structure complex ideas clearly and communicate concisely in writing.
• Knowledge of remote sensing, telecommunications, or in‑orbit services missions is desirable.
• Legal right to work in the chosen location.

Responsibilities

• Define and develop mission concepts for commercial and institutional opportunities across space, ground, and launch segments.
• Conduct orbital, power, and link-budget analyses and technical trade-offs.
• Support proposal preparation and bid writing.
• Collaborate with systems engineering, project management, and supply chain teams.
• Develop and maintain tools, models, and analytical frameworks for mission definition, cost estimation, risk assessment, and performance modelling.
• Gather and analyse technical and market intelligence.
• Contribute to internal process improvement and standardisation.
• Engage with customers, suppliers, and partners in technical discussions and reviews.

Skills

Space mission design principles

Orbit mechanics

Payload definition

Power calculations

Delta-V calculations

Coverage calculations

Link-budget calculations

Analytical framework

Cost estimation

Risk assessment

Performance modelling

Proposal development

Technical writing

Systems engineering processes

Clear communication

Collaboration

Process improvement

Remote sensing awareness

In-orbit services knowledge

Tools

MATLAB

Python

STK

Job description

• Define and develop mission concepts for commercial and institutional opportunities across space, ground, and launch segments
• Conduct orbital, power, and link-budget analyses and technical trade-offs
• Support proposal preparation and bid writing
• Collaborate with systems engineering, project management, and supply chain teams
• Develop and maintain tools, models, and analytical frameworks for mission definition, cost estimation, risk assessment, and performance modelling
• Gather and analyse technical and market intelligence
• Contribute to internal process improvement and standardisation
• Engage with customers, suppliers, and partners in technical discussions and reviews

Requirements

• Sound understanding of space mission design principles, including orbit mechanics, payload definition, and system trade-offs
• Strong mathematical and analytical capability, including power, delta-V, coverage, and link-budget calculations
• Confidence using modelling and simulation tools such as MATLAB, Python, and STK
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes and cross-segment mission integration
• Understanding of proposal development, technical writing, and documentation standards
• Ability to structure complex ideas clearly and communicate them concisely in writing
• Knowledge of remote sensing, telecommunications, or in-orbit services missions is desirable
• Legal right to work in the chosen location

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in space mission design principles, including orbit mechanics and payload definition, while effectively utilizing modelling and simulation tools such as MATLAB and Python for analytical tasks. Strong capability in proposal development and technical writing, with a focus on clear communication and collaboration across engineering and project management teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Space Mission Design Principles
• Mathematical and Analytical Capability
• Modelling and Simulation Tools
• Proposal Development and Technical Writing
• Systems Engineering Processes

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Orbit Mechanics
• Payload Definition
• Power Calculations
• Delta-V Calculations
• Coverage Calculations
• Link-Budget Calculations
• Analytical Frameworks
• Cost Estimation
• Risk Assessment
• Performance Modelling

Soft Skills

• Clear Communication
• Collaboration
• Process Improvement

Industry Keywords

• Remote Sensing
• Telecommunications
• In-Orbit Services
• Technical Trade-Offs
• Market Intelligence

Tools & Technologies

• MATLAB
• Python
• STK