{"id":1557820,"url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-head-of-engineering","title":"Head of Engineering","company":{"id":173518,"name":"Foundational","domain":"foundational.io","url":"https://alion.io/company/foundational","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":null},"role":"Leadership","role_family":"Leadership","seniority":"head","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["London, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":127000,"max_usd":250000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":35},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T19:53:28Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-30","last_verified_at":"2026-10-01T12:52:13Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":1,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":1},"description":"Head of Engineering\nThis is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.\nAbout us\nFoundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.\nWe design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked.\nOur station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space.\nWe're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.\nPosition Overview\nLondon · Full time · On-site\nYou'll lead our engineering team as it grows across hardware, optics and software. You'll turn our technology into stations and products that are delivered reliably and at scale.\nWhat you'll do\nLead, hire and develop engineers across disciplines\n\nOwn engineering delivery: planning, milestones and resourcing\n\nBuild design review, requirements, test and configuration processes that stay fast\n\nTake station builds from prototype to repeatable production\n\nWork with the CTO on architecture and the technical roadmap\n\nSupport customer and agency programmes, including ESA reviews\n\nWhat you'll bring\nSenior engineering leadership delivering complex hardware and software systems\n\nA background in space, defence, scientific instruments or similar\n\nA record of growing teams and delivery processes at a fast-moving company\n\nSystems engineering experience\n\nNice to have\nOptical or laser systems\n\nECSS or ESA programmes\n\nScaling up production\n\nEligibility for UK security clearance\n\nWhat We Offer\nA high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company\n\nEMI share options (UK employees)\n\n25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays\n\nEnhanced Parental Leave\n\nCycle to work schemes\n\nWork alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics\n\nOffices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials\n\nWe actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.","description_format":"text","description_chars":2731,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Annual leave","Parental leave","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Data Governance & Catalogs","Data Quality & Observability"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T02:49:55Z"}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":30,"reasons":["conf:2","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-01T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-head-of-engineering","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/foundational-head-of-engineering.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-01T20:36:29Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3016,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":1984,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-02T00:00:00Z"}}}