System Engineer Visa Sponsorship UK

Job Description

Join our dynamic Systems team at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) as a Systems Engineer, where you’ll take a leading role in delivering cutting-edge space missions spanning Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and even further into deep space.

At SSTL, our engineers are involved across the full mission lifecycle—from initial concept development, through assembly, integration and testing (AIT), launch, in-orbit commissioning, right up to ongoing operations. This end-to-end involvement provides a genuine “cradle-to-grave” experience, allowing you to witness the real-world impact of your contributions in space on remarkably short timescales.

As a Systems Engineer, you’ll serve as a key technical leader, coordinating diverse engineering disciplines to deliver innovative, practical, and high-quality solutions. You’ll thrive in a collaborative, supportive team culture while driving mission success.

Main Responsibilities

• Act as the primary system engineer and technical lead for SSTL missions, guiding projects from contract discussions and negotiations all the way through to launch and in-orbit operations.
• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams to develop mission and system architectures for a diverse range of orbits and applications.
• Perform comprehensive system-level design for both space and ground segments, including detailed requirements capture, trade-off studies, sensitivity analyses, mission simulations, and performance budgeting.
• Contribute to the creation of robust Concepts of Operations (ConOps) documents in team settings.
• Lead and participate in customer meetings and technical reviews at every project phase, delivering clear and professional presentations.
• Produce high-quality reports, technical documentation, and presentation materials throughout the project lifecycle.
• Partner with Sales and Engineering colleagues to support bid and tender processes, crafting compelling technical proposals tailored to various customer needs.
• Lead or support technical studies for clients, ensuring delivery meets technical specifications, budget constraints, and project schedules.

Required Experience

• Demonstrated success as a technical lead on one or more space mission projects.
• Strong background as a spacecraft Systems Engineer with proven expertise.
• Track record in mission design starting from customer/end-user needs, ideally with full lifecycle exposure.
• Solid experience in detailed design and analysis of space and ground segments down to subsystem level.
• Advantageous: Hands-on involvement in spacecraft-level environmental testing (e.g., vibration, thermal vacuum).
• Advantageous: Practical experience supporting satellite commissioning in orbit.
• Proficiency in requirements definition, traceability, and verification/validation processes.

Qualifications, Skills & Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a closely related field.
• Outstanding technical writing and presentation abilities, with experience preparing and delivering materials to diverse audiences.
• Solid understanding of key space systems topics, including orbital mechanics, constellation design, RF link budgets, power/thermal/mass budgets, mission operations, ground systems, space environment effects, and satellite bus architectures (mechanical and electrical).
• Broad awareness of satellite mission types, such as Earth observation, telecommunications, scientific payloads, and more.
• Capability to perform effectively under tight deadlines and in high-pressure situations.
• Strong familiarity with requirements management tools and processes.
• Good knowledge of Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) design principles.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Practical experience with analysis tools like STK (Systems Tool Kit) and MATLAB (or comparable software).
• Direct exposure to environmental testing procedures for space hardware.
• Understanding of cleanroom assembly, integration, and test approaches for flight equipment.
• Basic familiarity with project planning tools such as MS Project (or equivalents).

Location & Flexibility

Based at our headquarters in Guildford, Surrey (visit SSTL’s official site for more: https://www.sstl.co.uk/). We champion flexible working—hybrid arrangements and a variety of options are fully supported to help you balance work and life.

What We Offer

• A competitive benefits package, including:
• 32 days annual leave plus public holidays
• Company pension scheme with life assurance
• Private medical insurance and international travel coverage
• Performance-related annual bonus
• Share incentive plan
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave pay
• High street discounts and additional perks

Visa & Relocation

SSTL is pleased to support UK Skilled Worker Visa applications where required, and sponsorship is available for eligible candidates for this position. Relocation support can also be provided. For official UK government details on the Skilled Worker visa, please refer to: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

Department

• Systems, AOCS & Thermal Engineering

Role

• Systems Engineer

Location

• Guildford, UK

Employment Type

• Full-time

Job Reference

• 2111

If you’re passionate about pushing the boundaries of small satellite technology and want to contribute to real missions that make a difference, we’d love to hear from you!