Satellite Services Director in Surrey

This is an exciting chance to work in a pioneering space company shaping and delivering SSTL’s satellite service work. Reporting to the Managing Director, this role is an opportunity to join SSTL’s Executive team with responsibility for leadership and direction of the Satellite Services division at SSTL, ensuring successful delivery of all contractual service commitments, present and future.

SSTL operates a number of satellites, with Service-Level Agreements that dictate what those satellites need to do to enable our customers to meet their objectives. This role is responsible for all operations activities with those satellites.

About SSTL: Considered the pioneers of the small satellite market, and with a heritage that spans over 40 years, SSTL prides itself in continual innovation and improvement of space technologies, products, and services, as well as in delivering space missions for a broad array of applications, like high‑resolution Earth Imaging, communications (including from the moon), science and navigation. Since 1981, SSTL has built and launched 74 satellites, including 7 constellations, and has 10+ further satellites and payloads under contract.

Key Tasks:

• Deliver all our contractual and internal satellite service commitments on time, to a level of quality expected by the customer (external and internal) and within the cost estimate established during the proposal phase.
• Act as a member of the Executive Team actively contributing to day‑to‑day management and strategy of the business.
• Develop and implement an ITIL‑based service that is responsive and understanding of customer requirements, ensuring that the customer’s satellites are safely operated and available to use in line with their commitments.
• Develop and continuously improve the Service Delivery division and service processes to align with changing business requirements and contracts.
• Lead and direct the supporting technical functions (e.g., Spacecraft operations, Ground segment hardware) whose activities and products are directly used by the customer.
• Develop customer and stakeholder relationships so as to effectively act as point of escalation for service delivery managers as required, particularly to assist with the resolution of customer issues.
• Drive service delivery, ensuring each service team and the supporting technical functions are appropriately sized and have the right capability to address the key risks on any given phase of the service.
• Ensure appropriate level of reporting is in place across all service activities to highlight major achievements, report key financials and risk exposure, and escalate issues that are outside the control of the service team.
• Actively seek opportunities within each service project to increase revenue and manage the implementation and approval of subsequent CCNs.
• Empower Service Delivery Teams by ensuring accountability for the successful delivery of the service resides with the team, and that they have clear and unambiguous targets.
• Develop and implement a Satellite Service Roadmap to ensure our service delivery remains relevant to the future needs of our customers.
• Strengthen Service Delivery Teams by providing appropriate team development opportunities to improve self‑knowledge, decision making and communication.
• Drive the quality of the planning across all service activities to a level of accuracy that enables financial forecasting and headcount assessment to be performed with confidence.
• Ensure a close working relationship is maintained between the services core teams and the customer account managers within the BDS team, communicating regularly on hot topics that may impact future opportunities with the customer.
• Ensure a close working relationship is maintained between the services core teams and Engineering, Production and Projects, to ensure that prior to the commencement of the service phase, the rest of the business are working with the service requirements in mind, and that the projects are supported as required by the service team and supporting technical functions.
• Work with Chief Engineering to ensure all technical work is conducted in line with the company practices.
• Line management and leadership of direct reports (includes all line management activities throughout the employee life cycle including recruitment, performance, development, mentoring and wellbeing).

Previous Experience:

• Background of proven experience in successfully delivering complex services, ideally in a satellite or engineering/aerospace industry.
• Demonstrable experience of strategic planning.