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Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Onsite
This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.
About us
Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.
We design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.
Our station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.
We're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.
Position Overview
London · Full time · On-site
You'll design the structures that hold our optics still and aligned while stations run unattended in remote, harsh environments.
What you'll do
Design mounts, benches and enclosures for telescope-mounted and bench optics
Own alignment concepts, and the fixtures and procedures used to set alignment
Run thermal and structural analysis on optical assemblies, and feed the results into tolerances
Design for manufacture, assembly and field servicing
Work with the workshop and suppliers from drawing to finished part
What you'll bring
Experience in opto-mechanical design
CAD skills (SolidWorks, Onshape or similar), plus GD&T and drawing standards
Thermal and structural FEA experience
Hands-on build and alignment experience
Nice to have
Telescope or observatory hardware
Environmental testing
Outdoor enclosures and weather sealing
Space or defence programmes
What We Offer
A high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company
EMI share options (UK employees)
25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
Enhanced Parental Leave
Cycle to work schemes
Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics
Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials
We actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.
