Head of Geo-Intelligence & Earth Observation

Satellite Applications Catapult

Employment Type Full time

Location Hybrid ·Didcot, UK Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire (onsite 3 days per week)

Salary £85,000 - £95,000 (GBP) Discretionary 15% bonus (50% company performance & 50% personal performance)

Team GI

Seniority Senior

• Closing:2:22pm, 22nd Aug 2025 BST

Perks and benefits

Work from home option

Life Insurance

Wellness programs

Employee Assistance Programme

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Sabbatical Opportunities

Salary sacrifice

Team social events

Extracurricular clubs

Cycle to work scheme

Candidate happiness

8.51 (1921)

Job Description

Head of Geo-Intelligence & Earth Observation

The Role

As Head of GI, you’ll lead SAC’s Geo-Intelligence and Earth Observation (EO) activities—providing expert insight, strategic direction, and team leadership. You’ll be a senior remote sensing specialist, a line manager, and a champion for innovation and collaboration across SAC’s Missions.

You’ll ensure the GI team is:

The right shape and size to meet SAC’s strategic goals

Embedded across our programmes (“Missions”) via our matrix structure

Positioned at the forefront of EO and GI thought leadership

You’ll work across technical domains and professional disciplines, integrating business strategy with fit-for-purpose technology. As a not-for-profit organisation funded by InnovateUK, SAC exists to help the UK benefit from space services and grow a thriving space sector. You’ll collaborate with commercial clients, academia, and government stakeholders.

We operate with both near- and far-horizon goals:

Near-Horizon: Lead a team that delivers practical solutions for SMEs and clients, raising technology readiness levels (TRLs) and enabling successful programmes.

Far-Horizon: Shape the future of the sector through visionary thought leadership and strategic influence.

You’ll work within SAC’s matrix management system, coordinating daily with colleagues across technical, commercial, and delivery teams. Strong cross-disciplinary relationships are key to success.

Role Responsibilities

Represent SAC as a thought leader in the space sector and beyond

Line manage and develop a team of ~7 subject matter experts

Support business development through project bidding and funding acquisition

Provide expert advice and staff support to SAC’s Missions

Lead thought-leadership initiatives to influence SAC strategy and sector direction

Ensure technical quality in bids and project delivery

Skills Required

Remote Sensing Expertise: Deep experience in space-based EO and its applications, with a clear understanding of EO’s strengths and limitations

Downstream & Upstream Knowledge: While focused on downstream applications, familiarity with upstream satellite instruments and observing systems is desirable

Operational Impact: Proven experience applying EO data to real-world decision-making

Leadership: Experience managing and developing technical teams

Communication: Ability to explain complex concepts to diverse audiences, including public engagement and technical collaboration

Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly valued:

Environmental, national security, or commercial satellite remote sensing

Translating data into actionable intelligence

Working with end-users to ensure market relevance

About us & 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 any individual, 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. 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.

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.