Skyrora is a UK launch vehicle provider with the environment at the forefront of its focus. Aiming to provide sovereign launch capabilities globally through conducting the first ever commercial vertical orbital launch from the UK, Skyrora seeks to fill a market gap to provide cost effective, sustainable access to space.
Skyrora is rapidly approaching vertical orbital launch through the development of several innovative technologies, including an orbital transfer vehicle which can deorbit dangerous space debris and a rocket fuel derived from unrecyclable plastic waste.
The company is also taking an incremental learning approach to launch, developing four suborbital rockets to perform real-time testing of the avionics, ground control systems, payload deployment, and recovery systems of the vehicles in parallel with the development of their orbital rocket.
In 2022, Skyrora achieved several significant milestones on their journey to reach orbit, including completing the largest successful integrated orbital rocket stage test to be held in the UK since the 1970s and attempting to launch their Skylark L vehicle into space from the Langanes Peninsula in Iceland. These milestones have provided the team with valuable experience in operations procedures, logistics coordination, and execution of the rapid setup and pack-down of their mobile launch complex, experience which will propel them forward monumentally towards reaching orbit and change the course of the UK space sector.
Teamwork is at the core of Skyrora’s values as the company faces new challenges every day. Every member of Skyrora’s diverse team demonstrates flexibility, enthusiasm, and a significant work ethic to help establish creative solutions for the countless obstacles faced within the space sector.
Why not challenge yourself with the rare opportunity to help get the UK back to space?
Technical Bids and Grants Manager
- Position type: Full-time
- Job Code: E-TA-BM01
- Location: Cumbernauld
- Salary: from £45,000
about the company
About the Role
To enable our engineering activities, we seek competitive business opportunities with private and governmental bodies, such as the UK Space Agency and ESA. Skyrora are looking for a Bid and Grants manager to join our fast-growing team as a member of our Engineering Technical Support, to produce bids of the highest quality, manage ongoing bids, and find and apply for new business opportunities to enable Skyrora’s technical roadmap.
You will manage and be accountable for the development of exceptional proposals that meet and exceed the requirements set by funding bodies, for example researching bid and grant proposals to funding bodies, and work closely with a wide range of Skyrora personnel to form a deep understanding of the Skyrora Business plan, technical aims and fiscal needs to enable orbital launch.
This is a great opportunity to join a space company that works with rockets daily and be part of our journey to orbit.
Key Responsibilities and Tasks
Working as part of the Engineering Technical Support Team, you will:
- Be accountable for the development of strong, bid-winning technical proposals which fulfil the company ethos and values, and make a strong competitive case for enabling Skyrora’s requirements
- Manage and organise ongoing bids in varying stages of progression
- Organise the bids and grants writing team and section authors from across the business, setting and enforcing deadlines and expectations
- Interact with and develop a deep understanding of the works within various Skyrora teams
- Develop Technical Request for Proposals for customers
- Shape and guide the future of Skyrora through technology-enabling funding
- Proactively look for new relevant solicited and unsolicited bids and grants which align with Skyrora’s funding needs
- Cooperate with governmental bodies and bid/grant negotiation in latter stages of development
- Develop a repository of Skyrora technical and business information specifically related to bid and grant writing
- Assist in technical document writing and journal paper production
Preferred Experience & Skills
- Bachelor’s / Master’s in an engineering related field (Aerospace / Mechanical etc)
- 5+ years’ experience in writing high quality proposals with excellent attention to detail.
- 2+ years’ experience managing bids across a company and coordinating a bid/grant writing team.
- Must be able to independently and autonomously problem solve and write sections of proposals with no prior experience, from first principles.
- Experience in project management, and using Project management software such as ASANA, Jira etc.
- Experience within financial project planning within grant management over £1 million.
- History of successful winning application to both government and private grants.
- Experience working with government agencies.
- Independently gather information from subject matter experts to develop, organise, and write proposals and bids.
- Impeccable organisation and administration skills
- Must be able to set goals, prioritize multiple objectives with various deadlines and independently manage projects.
- Experience in using graphics and rendering to display complex infographic information.
- Experience leading a cross-functional team and external contacts
- Demonstrable experience translating complex ideas into readily understood proposals.
- Ability to develop and implement winning themes and have a core understanding of the industry and competition.
- Record of successfully planning and completing both short and long-term projects on time
- Strong creative and technical writing skills, as well as excellent verbal communication skills
- Able to work and be embedded into various teams to gain an understanding of the processes.
- Be willing to play a crucial part of a dynamic and fast paced team that is putting the UK back into space.
Additional Requirements
- Must be willing to travel for work.
- Must be willing to work in a dynamic teamwork-oriented environment.
- Must have a valid passport and be legal to work in the UK
- Successfully complete Skyrora Security Vetting.
To apply, please send your CV and Cover Letter to [email protected] with the subject header displaying the job code E-TA-BM01