Principal Earth Observation Consultant

Background 

The Satellite Applications Catapult (Catapult) exists to grow the UK space sector and, as satellite applications become increasingly fundamental to many sectors, to grow the UK economy that depends on space. The Catapult has recently adopted a new matrix structure with strategies aligned to our Missions which provide the direction by which that ambition can be fulfilled.  The missions are delivered by multifunctional teams that include members from across the different technology teams so that new ideas and collaborations can grow. The Geospatial Intelligence (GI) team members are critical to bringing Earth Observation (EO) expertise into mission teams.  

The Role 

This fixed term role as a Principle EO Consultant will include acting as the Subject Matter Lead for Earth Observation on the Sustainable Earth Mission.  This is an important activity as part of the Mission Leadership Team involved in developing and implementing the mission strategy and acting as the key liaison between the mission and the Head of the GI department.  As a Principal EO Consultant you will work within the Geospatial Intelligence team on developing new value propositions for geospatial data and technologies, with a focus on EO. Technical activities will range from internal research, technical support to companies and commercial productisation, it will also involve support to academic researchers on the Researcher in Residence programme, working collaboratively with external communities and supporting thought leadership activities. The successful candidate will enjoy working within stimulating environment supported by the latest tools and experienced and skilled staff from a diverse range of backgrounds. You will have the enthusiasm and drive to use your technical and commercial experience to propose and develop effective geospatial solutions that respond to industry-focused business challenges and opportunities. 

 Candidates will be expected to be available from early to mid-May for a period of 13 months including handover periods. 

 The successful candidate will: 

• Have a comprehensive knowledge of EO data and be able to communicate its application and relevance to a given problem. 

• Have experience in the definition and development of innovative geospatial solutions utilising the most appropriate geospatial technologies and data sets to meet customer / market needs. 

• Have a detailed understanding of value proposition development and an understanding of the development and communication of financial value propositions. 

• Be an excellent communicator, equally comfortable discussing a technical architecture on a whiteboard one day and communicating the value of a solution to a customer the next. 

 To ensure success in the role, you will: 

• Lead the collaborative development of new geospatial solution concepts. 

• Lead the successful delivery of project activities. 

• Be responsible for proposing prototype solutions to meet customer needs and will be accountable for ensuring that the proposed technical solutions are both commercially and technically viable.   

• Share best practice through the collaborative development and delivery of workshops and masterclasses to users of EO data with other Catapult colleagues. 

• Engage with potential users of EO data to understand their business challenges across their supply chain and collaborate to create solutions that will address these challenges.  

• Provide mentorship to less-experienced colleagues that enables personal and professional growth. 

 About You 

• Degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline with associated technical expertise. 

• Extensive knowledge of the applications of EO data across the spectrum. 

• Experience of contemporary geospatial data formats and management principles. 

• Knowledge of the UK and international EO market landscape. 

• Experience in supporting proposals, development of value propositions and bid writing. 

• Experience of processing and analysing spatial data sets and applying data science methods in relevant software packages e.g., ENVI, QGIS, ArcGIS, R, C++, Java, Python or equivalent. 

• Experience in using AI/ML techniques for EO data analysis. 

• Experience of technical leadership and solutions development. 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to listen to and interpret requirements with technical and non-technical audiences. 

• Strong analysis and problem-solving skills. 

• Experience of customer engagement and placing customer needs at the heart of decision making. 

• Ability to engage with industry, government, and academia to foster partnerships and drive innovation. 

• Experience in mentoring and fostering a collaborative learning environment. 

• Strong team player. 

How we work….

We strive to create a high trust, high performance and inclusive environment that enables team members to bring their whole selves to work – this helps to create the foundations of an innovation culture. Our shared values are critical to this:

• We care - for our people, our partners, and our planet

• We connect - and engage with people and ideas

• We learn - and grow, as people and as an industry

Underpinning this is our belief in great teams, our combined efforts will always deliver outcomes beyond that of anyone providing we are honest through debate, experiment and reflect, and create shared resolutions in support of our purpose. Live these values, work to our principles, take ownership to deliver, and we are certain you will thrive with us.

This job description set outs the skills and experience we think are needed to be able to perform in this job. However, if you believe you can deliver in this role then we want to hear from you.

Important notice for applicants: We use tools to detect plagiarism and the use of AI or chatbots for applicant answers. If plagiarism, AI use (such as ChatGPT) or similar software are found to have been used in your application you will not be considered for this or future roles within the Satellite Applications Catapult. If you need any additional support during the application process, please do reach out and connect. We also invite you to share feedback via Applied.

At Satellite Applications Catapult, we're committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. We welcome candidates from all corners of the globe, but due to legal and logistical considerations, we want to be transparent about the potential visa-related challenges that could arise. Our ability to offer sponsorship will depend on the level of interest for our roles and salary level.

If you need any additional support during the application process, please do reach out and connect. We also invite you to share feedback via Applied.