Space Analysis Manager

Salary: £72,547 up to £96,729 dependent upon experience

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time

Security Level: SC

Location: Aviation House - Gatwick – min 2 days in the office per week or 8 days across a month.

Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship

Closing Date: 7th September 2026

Interview Date: w/c 5th October 2026

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field, enabling a safe and sustainable commercial space sector in the UK.

The Role

This role is for the Space Analysis Manager within the Engineering, Safety, and Environment team. The team provides engineering, safety, and environmental expertise to support the UK’s space regulatory functions, working closely with regulatory and policy specialists.

You will lead a team of engineers responsible for engineering analysis, quantitative safety assessment and modelling activities supporting both launch and orbital activities. You will provide technical leadership and oversight of the team's assessments, recommendations, and software capabilities, helping to ensure the safe and sustainable growth of the UK space sector.

Core Accountabilities

• Provide technical leadership and assurance for complex safety assessments, modelling activities and regulatory decision making related to launch, orbital and re-entry activities.
• Manage, develop and mentor a team of experienced technical specialists, providing technical direction, oversight and quality assurance of the team’s outputs.

• Lead the Space Analysis Team in the development, maintenance and improvement of tools required to support regulatory activities of UK space activities.
• Apply expert knowledge of modelling, simulation and quantitative risk assessment tools to support the evaluation of space safety risks and regulatory decision-making.

• Prepare and review technical assessment outputs, including safety review recommendations and advice on licence and regulatory matters..
• Define Research and Development activities on topics such as space sustainability, space traffic management and launch vehicle flight safety.
• Work closely with policy and regulatory specialists, providing expert technical advice and translating complex engineer, operational, safety and risk concepts into evidence-based policy recommendations.
• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of international space regulations, standards and international best practice.
• Oversee the implementation of software engineering and assurance practices for software tools, including quality assurance, testing, version control, issue tracking, release management and documentation.
• Lead engagement with senior stakeholders across industry, academia, government and international regulatory organisations on technical and safety aspects.
• Support the CAA’s regulatory safety management system in ensuring space safety risks are being managed by industry, that regulatory interventions are effective, and that emerging regulatory risks are adequately captured.
• Lead technology and regulatory horizon scanning, identifying emerging developments, assessing potential safety implications and recommending priorities for future work.

About You

Essential

• Demonstrable experience providing technical leadership within a multi-disciplined engineering, scientific or analytical team.
• Demonstrable experience applying modelling, simulation, data analysis or computational methods to solve engineering, operational, safety or mission-related problems.
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Degree-level knowledge of an engineering, scientific or mathematical discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrable experience in the development, governance and application of software for scientific, engineer, safety or analytical purposes
• Evidence of implementing and managing software development lifecycle including version control, issue tracking, testing, validation, verification and continuous integration.
• Excellent programming skills in a high-level language (e.g. C/C++, Java, Fortran, Python, MATLAB or equivalent language).
• Knowledge of statistics, uncertainty analysis, relevant numerical methods and experience applying these techniques to engineering or safety-related problems.
• Knowledge of spacecraft and launch systems, orbital mechanics and mission analysis or other complex systems.

Desirable

• An advanced university degree at PhD level or equivalent experience in an engineering, scientific or mathematical discipline, ideally in the field of launch vehicles, spacecraft, mission analysis or astrodynamics related topics.
• Fundamental and detailed knowledge of the design of spacecraft or launch vehicles including identification of major components, performance (specifically propulsion systems, GNC/AOCS) and architectures used by major global suppliers.

The team is made of individuals with complementary skills and there is no expectation to have expertise across all of the areas listed below. Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous:

Launch vehicle mission analysis and flight safety

• Mission analysis for launch vehicles, such as trajectory optimisation, stage impact prediction and dispersion analysis, or vehicle performance for expendable or reusable vehicles.
• Flight safety analysis for launch vehicles, such as modelling of malfunction turns, the development of flight corridors, flight safety limits, and risk mitigation measures to support safe launch operations.

Quantitative risk assessment and safety analysis

• Application of quantitative risk assessment methodologies within aerospace or another safety critical or high hazard industry.
• Consequence modelling of explosions, fires or similar techniques applied to other sectors.

Atmospheric flight and re-entry

• High-speed aerodynamics through vehicle design, analysis, or modelling activities, including a detailed understanding of the lift and drag characteristics of high-Mach-number vehicles and shock-wave theory.
• Re-entry analysis for satellites or launch vehicles, such as ablation, fragmentation, aerothermodynamics and risk posed to those on the ground.

Astrodynamics and mission design

• Orbital propagation, including special perturbation, general perturbation, semi-analytical, numerical, or uncertainty analysis methods.
• Astrodynamics including orbital manoeuvring, orbit determination, mission design, constellation architectures, repeat ground-track orbits, station keeping, rendezvous operations, transfer orbit design, and spacecraft re-entry analysis.

Space safety and orbital environment

• Conjunction assessments, collision risk analysis, collision prediction, and collision avoidance manoeuvre planning.
• Modelling and simulation of the long-term evolution of the orbital environment, including knowledge of the characteristics, behaviour, and dynamics of orbital debris.

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 5 years.

If you do not meet these requirements, we may not be able to accept your application.

For more information on CTC and SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

For more information on BPSS clearance please visit - BPSS clearance

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

Relocation & Property

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations.

We will be moving to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office, before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land, vacate the site and move to new premises, but we do not expect to move before 2028

Inclusive Recruitment

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome applications from all backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be guaranteed an interview. Find out more about the Disability Confident Scheme. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligence by candidates in the CAA recruitment process

We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected on that basis.

Working With Us

Explore What We Offer section on our careers website to find out about our benefits and how we support work-life balance.

Our Values

Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here

Closing Date: 7th September 2026

Interview Date: w/c 5th October 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.