Mission Systems Team Lead (Aerospace)

Location: Oxfordshire, UK, Didcot (hybrid); hirify.global UK in Harwell

Company

hirify.global develops on-orbit servicing solutions for government and commercial clients, supporting the secure and sustainable development of space.

What you will do

• Lead a team of 6–8 systems engineers, including prioritisation, appraisals, probation reviews, and blocker resolution.
• Define mission concepts, requirements, timelines, and system architectures based on customer and stakeholder needs.
• Lead trade-off analyses and mature technical solutions across early and late lifecycle engineering activities.
• Manage system baselines, change control, technical risks, scope, and mitigation plans.
• Coordinate project managers, leadership, customers, suppliers, subject-matter experts, and engineers to reach agreement on critical technical topics.
• Plan team workload, identify resource gaps, support recruitment, and develop team members’ skills.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in space systems engineering or engineering similarly complex systems.
• Basic understanding of the critical subsystems and functions of a typical satellite mission.
• Experience with complex system validation, verification, delivery, stakeholder management, and technical risk.
• Experience deriving and managing engineering requirements.
• Ability to perform complex technical and programmatic trade-offs.
• Comfort working with engineering simulations and outputs from common aerospace engineering tools.

Nice to have

• At least 2 years of experience managing a systems engineering team.
• At least 8 years of space systems engineering experience or experience with similarly complex systems.
• Knowledge of space-system areas such as mechanical, thermal, mechanisms, or GNC.
• Experience with satellite-level AIT, space mission operations, or ESA and similar institutional projects.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible working around core hours in a supportive environment.
• Optional 9/75 working pattern and hybrid working, subject to role requirements.
• 25 days of holiday, increasing yearly to a maximum of 28 days, plus 8 Bank Holidays.
• Life insurance, long-term sick pay, and private healthcare.
• Relocation allowance, access to a modern office and cleanroom facility, and regular social events.