Background: The UK Space Agency:

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision.

Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons.

We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country.

Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development. We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes

We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency.

More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency

To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU

Our Inclusive Environment

We have an inclusive culture to make UKSA a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.

Please note that UKSA is currently undergoing a transformation programme and it is likely that some posts may be affected during this process which could lead to changes to the job description, team or line manager for this role as a result.

Investment is key to delivering the National Space Strategy’s vision of building one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world. UKSA has made maximising investment into the space sector its North Star and a core purpose of its major national programmes. It has appointed its first investment director, who joins us on 12 December, and will establish a new Investment Directorate.

This role will play a key role within the new Investment Directorate, to ensure that UKSA’s funding best leverages private capital. Working with the space sector, investors and experts from across UKSA and government you will be responsible for establishing a new fund that:

• Simplifies how organisations access £520m of UKSA funding, with the option to incorporate funding from other departments;
• Increases the value of private investment UKSA catalyses and channels it to best achieve our investment strategy;
• Streamlines and improves consistency in how UKSA manages its innovation funding.

UKSA has already launched a consultation and a new group to co-design this initiative with the sector and investors. In February a joint UKSA/consultancy team will deliver its recommendations for the establishment of the Fund to our Executive Committee. You will likely join in time to take these recommendations forwards with a business case and new operating model, with the aim of fully establishing the new fund by 2024. One likely outcome will be a funding mechanism by which UKSA works closely with private sector investors.

This is a tremendous opportunity to shape a major new programme, honing your skills in designing and implementing government support for innovation. You will provide visible leadership to this new programme, championing it within government and with the space sector, and be responsible for making authoritative recommendations to and winning the support of the space sector, investors and senior officials across government.

The Fund is currently being developed as part of UKSA’s Integrated Transformation Programme and the post-holder is being recruited by the Head of Strategy and Parliamentary and Public Affairs. However, the post will ultimately be based in the new UKSA Investment Directorate. The role and shape of this directorate will be established with the arrival of the new UKSA Investment Director in mid-December.

Key Responsibilities:

Sitting within the new Investment Directorate, the postholder will:

By March 2023, work in a joint UKSA/consultancy team as part of the Agency’s Integrated Transformation Programme (ITP), leading a small team of UKSA staff and overseeing the work of a major management consultancy to secure the design of the new Space Catalyst Fund and seek initial approvals for this within UKSA, BEIS and wider government including HM Treasury.

From April 2023, establish the Fund, including:

• Leading the necessary changes within UKSA to consolidate our innovation funding and launch the new approach, winning support within the Agency and from the space sector;
• Securing any resources and further approvals required for UKSA to work more closely with private capital through a Business Case, ensuring that this initiative is attractive to the space sector and investors;
• Undertaking any necessary commercial procurement, supported by UKSA’s specialist commercial function.

The postholder will throughout:

• Lead their team in accordance with the behaviours and skills in the Civil Service Leadership Statement and UKSA Values.
• Ensure that the Fund’s design and operation aligns with our strategic objectives and the needs of our users in the space sector and investment community, offers value for money and is integrated into UKSA’s new operating model;
• Where necessary, continue to shape existing Agency programmes to ensure these catalyse investment or undertake other duties as required by the Investment Director.

As the Investment Directorate will be established in December, the post-holder should also expect to work with the new Director and their wider team to further define this role and amend their objectives accordingly.

Essential Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:

• Leadership of the design and delivery of innovation programmes, either inside or outside of government, with experience of the space sector an advantage (but not required).
• Understanding of how private investment operates throughout a firm’s lifecycle and how government can influence investment into space or other R&D intensive sectors. This may have been gained from working inside or outside of government.
• Working with a wide range of stakeholders to gain their buy-in to new initiatives, including senior officials/executives and staff who will be responsible for delivery, with experience of working with investors highly desirable.
• Willingness to flex their role to new and emerging requirements as determined by the options selected for the Fund and the role of the new Investment Directorate.

Desirable Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• Experience of drafting and overseeing complex business cases for novel programmes and familiarity with HM Treasury Green Book appraisal methodology is desirable but not required.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving

UKSA offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.

Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.

An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.

Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts.

A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Job contact :

Name :
Mike Taylor
Email :
mike.taylor@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

Recruitment team :

Email :
uksarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk