Job Description:

This internship plays a key role in developing a comprehensive policy knowledge base for the Satellite Applications Catapult. Working within the Partnerships, Policy and Place team, the intern will research, map, and analyse government and sector policies shaping the UK space landscape, including skills-related initiatives. They will conduct structured desk research across the three Catapult Missions - Resilient Earth, Beyond Earth, and Autonomous and Connected Earth - while exploring workforce challenges linked to Resilient PNT and Autonomous Robotics. The intern will collaborate across missions and business units to ensure the resulting searchable database supports organisational needs and informs strategic decision-making.

Over the course of the placement, the intern will:

• Carry out structured desk base research across the three Catapult Missions and cross-cutting policy issues.

• Understand and engage with the Connected Capability networks.

• Explore underpinning skills issues across each mission and see how this fits into a wider skills & workforce landscape.

• This work will feed into a searchable database designed to support Mission teams and the broader organisation in understanding the policy environment that strategic decision-making is situated in.

• Engage with colleagues across missions and business units to ensure the resource reflects organisation need and reflects the goals of Mission interventions.

Although based in the Partnerships, Policy and Place team, they will have opportunities to collaborate more widely across the Catapult to understand different policy requirements and perspectives .

The successful applicant should have the following qualities and abilities:

This internship will provide the applicant with a combination of technical and human skills applicable to research, analysis, and collaboration in the space sector.

The applicant will develop the following technical skills:

• (Policy) research methodology and design

• Data collection and management

• Potential for statistical analysis in excel/R if they would like to learn

• Literature review and database navigation within a governmental context

• Report preparation, writing and presentation skills

The applicant will develop the following human skills:

• Critical thinking and analytical reasoning

• Attention to detail

• Time management and organization

• Written and verbal communication

• Collaboration and teamwork

By the end of the project, the intern will be equipped with a well-rounded skill set, valuable for both the space sector and broader industries.

Academic Requirements:

• Currently studying or recently graduated with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. There is no required degree course for this role. If you are interested in policy, research, or the space sector, and can demonstrate strong analytical and communication skills, we’d love to hear from you — whatever your academic background.

Minimum Requirements:

• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, about the UK Space Ecosystem and the Catapult’s missions.

• Knowledge, experience and good proficiency of Microsoft Office.

• Strong research and analytical skills with previous experience working with qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

• A high level of organisation and time-management, particularly for managing multiple, concurrent tasks and tight deadlines.

• Familiarity with specific research techniques relevant to the role, including desk-based research, communication skills, and collation of qualitative data sets.

• Knowledge and experience of referencing scientific publications, reports and conference proceedings.

• Excellent verbal and written skills for reporting findings and collaborating with teams.

• Capacity to adapt to shifting priorities and resolve methodological or technical problems by taking initiative and asking questions.

Desirable Requirements:

• Prior policy research experience is desirable, but not essential.

Process details:

• 8 weeks minimum fixed term contract to be agreed with successful candidate

• 5 days holiday to be taken during the placement

How we work at Satellite Applications Catapult….

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. Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

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.