Business Development Manager – Space Sector
Oxfordshire, UK (Hybrid)

An orbital services company in the UK is hiring a Business Development Manager to help shape their future government and institutional partnerships. They’re working on some of the most complex and relevant challenges in space today, including in-orbit servicing, debris removal, and next-gen satellite support.

This role sits within their business development team and focuses primarily on capturing UK and European institutional opportunities. You’ll take the lead on preparing funding bids, supporting proposal development, coordinating cross-functional input, and keeping a sharp eye on ESA, UKSA, and EU opportunity pipelines.

You don’t need to be an engineer, but it helps if you speak the language. This is a great fit for someone with experience in the UK or European space sector who understands how programmes are shaped, and wants to move further into a commercial role.

What you’ll be doing

• Tracking open calls from UKSA, ESA, EU and others to identify where current and future projects align

• Managing and producing bids from start to finish, including content development, partner coordination, and internal approvals

• Working with design, engineering, finance, and policy teams to bring together winning proposals

• Leading or supporting negotiations, reviews, and bid-related events

• Representing the company at relevant conferences and supporting strategic partner discussions

• Helping shape new products and services by feeding in market insights

You should have

• 2-4+ years of experience in bid production, capture, or technical sales within the space industry

• Familiarity with ESA and UKSA proposal processes (e.g. ARTES, GSTP, Space Safety, ITTs)

• Strong writing and communication skills with a clear, persuasive style

• Ability to work independently, coordinate multiple moving parts, and keep things on track

• A good understanding of the UK and European space landscape, especially around in-orbit servicing

• A genuine interest in space sustainability and the broader mission

Nice to have

• Postgraduate degree or prior experience in spacecraft systems or space engineering

• Experience delivering bid volumes like implementation, technical, commercial, or financial

• Exposure to ESA financial forms and procurement processes

• Background in a satellite business or sales environment

This is a hybrid role based in Oxfordshire, with flexibility around on-site presence depending on the project phase. You’ll be joining a small but growing commercial team working closely with engineering and strategy.

If you’ve worked on the government-facing side of the space industry and want more ownership, this is a strong opportunity to step up.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Adam Slade