Senior Mission Concept Engineer

Open Cosmos; Harwell; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Open Cosmos is seeking a Senior Mission Concept Engineer to lead the definition and development of advanced space mission concepts from initial customer discussions to fully developed proposals. You will shape missions with customers, translate needs into robust, commercially viable solutions, and guide proposal efforts with internal and external partners.

You will drive architecture design across space, ground, and launch, engage with institutional and commercial customers, and mentor others

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience defining and analysing complex space missions including constellation sizing, orbital analysis, payload integration, communications, AOCS or system trades.
• Specialisation in a mission domain such as embedded software, satellite operations, mission control systems, or flight dynamics.
• Experience leading technical workstreams or proposals in commercial or institutional contexts (ESA, UKSA, EC, etc.).
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to perform delta‑V or power budgeting and trade studies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of complex missions across Earth observation, telecommunications, and technology demonstration.
• Define mission architectures across space, ground, and launch segments.
• Engage directly with customers to refine requirements and shape solutions.
• Lead or contribute to proposal development, ensuring technical credibility and cost realism.
• Support consortium definition, structuring partnerships and contributions across the value chain.
• Contribute to early-stage mission shaping and feasibility assessments.
• Collaborate with engineering, project management, and commercial teams to produce coherent mission concepts and proposals.
• Develop tools, models, and approaches to assess mission performance, risk, cost, and schedule.
• Mentor colleagues and contribute to the evolution of Open Cosmos’ mission design capabilities.

Skills

Mission design

Orbital analysis

Payload integration

AOCS

System trades

Customer engagement

Proposal development

Pre-sales

Team mentoring

Cross-functional

Job description

At Open Cosmos we are solving the world’s biggest challenges from space, providing businesses, governments and researchers access to more readily available information than ever before - ready for the challenge? Then read on…

Working in our Growth Team

The Growth team acts as the powerhouse of the company, ensuring the immediate needs of the customers are swiftly met and the future ones are translated into a product roadmap and deliverable projects.

Each member of the team combines a mix of programmatic, system engineering, and commercial skills with specific strengths.

What you will be doing?

As a Senior Mission Concept Engineer, you will lead the definition and development of advanced space mission concepts, from early customer discussions through to fully developed proposals.

You will play a central role in shaping missions with customers, translating their needs into technically robust and commercially viable solutions. This includes leading or contributing to satellite mission proposals, working closely with internal teams and external partners to build compelling, end-to-end mission architectures.

You will:

• Lead the design of complex missions across Earth observation, telecommunications, and technology demonstration
• Define mission architectures across space, ground, and launch segments
• Engage directly with customers (institutional and commercial) to refine requirements and shape solutions
• Lead or contribute to proposal development, ensuring technical credibility, cost realism, and alignment with customer expectations
• Support consortium definition, structuring partnerships and contributions across the value chain
• Contribute to early-stage mission shaping and pre-sales activities, including feasibility assessments and concept iteration
• Working cross-functionally with engineering, project management, and commercial teams, you will bring together inputs into clear, coherent mission concepts and proposals — balancing innovation with delivery realism
• You will also drive innovation within the team by developing tools, models, and approaches to assess mission performance, risk, cost, and schedule
• As a senior member of the team, you will mentor others, share knowledge, and contribute to the evolution of Open Cosmos’ mission design capabilities and long‑term roadmap

What You’ll bring

• Strong understanding of all space mission phases including design – with hands‑on experience defining and analysing complex missions (e.g. constellation sizing, orbital analysis, payload integration, communications, AOCS, or system trades)
• Specialisation in a mission domain, such as embedded software, satellite operations, mission control systems, or flight dynamics
• Have led technical workstreams or proposals in a commercial or institutional (ESA, UKSA, EC, etc.) context
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, from performing delta‑V or power budgets to evaluating mission‑level trade‑offs
• Confidence dealing with ambiguity and complexity, using structured thinking to create clarity and drive progress
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, able to engage both technical and non‑technical audiences
• A collaborative mindset, eager to exchange knowledge and help build scalable processes as Open Cosmos continues to grow

For this role you can be based in any of our locations.

Why Open Cosmos?

• Work at the cutting edge of space technology with customers around the globe
• A mission‑driven company making space accessible to help solve real‑world challenges
• A diverse, ambitious, and supportive team

Equal opportunity employer

At Open Cosmos, we are dedicated to fostering a workplace built on respect, dignity, and belonging. As an equal opportunity employer, we actively challenge bias to ensure every candidate and employee feels truly welcome. We celebrate diversity in all its forms and are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.