Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer

Babcock International Group; England; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday

Pension & life assurance

Digital GP & health checks

Employee share scheme

Flexible working

Be Kind Day

Job summary

Babcock is seeking a Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer to lead satellite flight dynamics for the UK geostationary fleet from Hawthorn, Corsham. You will perform orbit determination, manoeuvre planning and life-optimisation analyses to support national security missions.

The role requires an established background in spacecraft dynamics, engineering and strong programming / communication skills, with SC/DV clearances as part of the security requirements.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in satellite flight dynamics, engineering or operations.
• Strong analytical ability and programming skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Perform orbit determination and plan manoeuvres to maintain GEO fleet positions; provide on-call support when required.
• Support daily flight dynamics operations, including orbit determination, manoeuvre planning and product generation.
• Monitor performance and propellant consumption to refine life estimates; develop tools to improve data trending.
• Assist with geosynchronous satellite relocation, deorbiting, launches and orbit transfers.
• Participate in flight dynamics software maintenance, development, enhancement and testing.

Skills

Satellite flight dynamics

Engineering

Analytical skills

Programming skills

Communication skills

Education

Undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering, physics, computer science or similar

Job description

Job Title: Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer

Location: Hawthorn, Corsham

Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF75943

Shape the future of military satellite communications and help protect critical national capabilities.

At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer at Hawthorn, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

The role

As a Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer, you'll join a mission-critical team supporting the UK’s current and next-generation military geostationary spacecraft constellation. This is a rare opportunity to apply your expertise to highly complex satellite operations that directly contribute to national security and defence capability.

Working as part of a collaborative multi-company operations team, you'll help ensure the highest levels of availability across the Military Satellite Communications programme. From orbit determination and manoeuvre planning through to satellite life optimisation and operational support, your work will have a direct impact on mission success. You'll also have the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge space operations while further developing your technical expertise in a highly specialised and growing area of aerospace engineering.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

• Perform orbit determination and plan the manoeuvres necessary to maintain the positions of the UK Military Satellite Communications geosynchronous satellite fleet. Perform on-call support responsibilities, when required.
• Support daily flight dynamics operations, including orbit determination, manoeuvre planning, and product generation. Support detail data and trending analysis for the Military Satellite Communications fleet. Maintain accurate accounting of propellant.
• Monitor manoeuvre performance and propellant consumption to continuously refine, optimise, and update the satellites’ operational life estimates. Derive algorithms and implement tools to improve data trending and satellite manoeuvre life calculations.
• Support occasional special satellite operational activities which include, but are not limited to geosynchronous satellite relocation, deorbiting a satellite, satellite launches, and orbit transfers.
• Participate in flight dynamics software maintenance, development, enhancement, and testing.

This role is full time, 37 hours per week and is based on site at Hawthorn, Corsham.

Essential experience of the Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer

• Proven years of relevant experience in satellite flight dynamics, engineering, or operations.
• Good analytical ability and programming skills
• Experience working in an environment which requires engineering and analytical skills
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to express ideas clearly both verbally and in writing.

Qualifications for the Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer

• Undergraduate university degree in a relevant technical field. Prefer degree in aerospace engineering, physics, computer science, or a similar engineering discipline.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance for this role. Must be Sole UK

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK ( .

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows the majority of employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement
• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Flexible working - we give people more options to better integrate their work and personal life, whilst ensuring that business needs are met
• A dynamic working environment

Babcock

We’re Babcock - a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 29,000 people working together to make a difference.

Here, you’ll be part of something bigger. From initial design to final decommissioning, your work will contribute to products and services that are essential to national security and public infrastructure. Together, we’re building a future that lasts - not just through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance.

We call that lifetime engineering.

Join us and see how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email with the subject header 'Reasonable adjustments requirement'. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working - please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.