Engineering – Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom – Full time

Space Forge is transforming return from space to deliver revolutionary experiments and products, for the benefit of humanity.

We are developing an end-to-end service for a satellite that can be launched into orbit, manufacture new materials, return independently, then be recovered, refurbished and relaunched. We have a core team of highly qualified engineers who are developing the key technologies simultaneously and we need someone to tie our operations together.

Ultimately we are looking for someone who can lead the development of the operational systems we need for our service, connecting our data sources to make us more efficient, to achieve our goal of transforming return from space for the benefit of humanity.

The primary roles for this job are:

  • Lead for the design, building and testing of our software that will manage the data we generate on the ground and in space.”.
  • Leading the operations of our early space missions.
  • Lead for the creation of the mission application software for our satellites.

Key areas of responsibility:

  • Leading the development of the operational software that we need to build our reusable satellite service.
  • Leading the definition and execution of the day-to-day operational procedures for our early space missions.
  • Documenting interfaces and operational procedures for internal use.
  • Creating plans and executing them for the development of the operational software.
  • Engaging with internal and external system providers to ensure compatibility with the whole system.
  • Assisting with software debugging on test days and during space missions.
  • Helping us to define our company level software development approach.

A typical day:

  • Writing software to manage our various sources of data.
  • Defining operational procedures and software for controlling our satellites from the ground.
  • Working with satellite engineering and flight model hardware to test mission application software.
  • Being out in the field testing satellite recovery hardware.
  • Working closely with the engineering team and CTO to solve problems and refine baselines

Benefits

Salary expectation: £35,000 to £45,000 dependant upon experience

Beyond the salary, Space Forge has been set up to ensure that staff have everything they need to enjoy their work, as the executive team are strong believers in motivation and flexibility driving productivity. Therefore the current additional benefits are available to team members:

  • Remote working available, working from home when not needed to be in the office, high quality remote working equipment will be provided;
  • 30 days holiday (inclusive of 8 UK bank holidays per year);
  • Up to five volunteering days per year;
  • Opportunity to join employee share options plan;
  • Working with a passionate, friendly and highly motivated team;
  • Maternity / Paternity benefits beyond statutory;
  • Our inclusive culture, celebrating failure and success, fairness, respect and honesty;
  • Helping to shape the modelling development processes at a rapidly growing start-up;
  • Contributing to the company impact of helping to reduce CO2 emissions across the globe by deploying space made materials into more energy efficient hardware.

APPLY:  Space Forge Ltd – Current Openings (workable.com)

CLOSING DATE: This application will close on July 17th 2021

Skills and Experiences

  • Requirements

    The Space Forge team is deliberately made from individuals who are adaptable and willing to learn new skills quickly. Therefore we are looking for engineers who are willing and able to adapt to the requirements asked of them whilst maintaining a good level of technical quality. Additionally as a start-up, staff are sometimes asked to assist with duties beyond their nominal job description and we are looking for candidates who are happy to step up and try something new when needed.

    Technical skills:

    • Good ability with a wide range of programming languages, including python, C#, JavaScript and internet communication protocols.
    • Ability to develop requirements for software and operational procedures.
    • Working knowledge of Amazon Web Services.
    • Knowledge of interfacing between internet services, embedded electronics, hardware and human interface systems.
    • Ideally experience with satellite operations.

    Soft skills:

    • Able to communicate with teams working both in and out of the office;
    • Able to communicate professionally with customers and external stakeholders;
    • Resilient and adaptable to technical and non-technical roadblocks, as many are expected

    Note that we don’t expect applicants to have all of these skills, but a mixture of some. We are looking for people who are willing to work hard, think logically, have high energy levels, respect others’ abilities and ultimately have an unending appetite to learn a large number of new skills quickly. Space Forge is committed to making super-powered teams of diverse individuals in all senses of the term, therefore women are strongly encouraged to apply and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.