National AI Awards 2025Discover AI's trailblazers! Join us to celebrate innovation and nominate industry leaders.

Nominate & Attend

Operations Manager Solar Orbiter MAG

Imperial College London
London
10 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Financial Crime Manager - System & Tooling

Data Science Manager

Product Manager - MLOps Platform (AdTech Focus)

Principal Product Manager – Data Science & Machine Learning

Study Start-Up Specialist

Product Owner

The Space, Plasma and Climate Community in Imperial College London’s Department of Physics is in search of an Operations Manager to lead the team operating the magnetic field instrument (MAG) on the European Space Agency Solar Orbiter spacecraft.

We build and operate state of the art space instruments for the European Space Agency and NASA.

Are you interested in space exploration and cutting edge science? Do you have an impressive background in writing high quality software for data processing, excellent attention to detail and a proven track record operating critical production software applications? Can you lead the operations of the Solar Orbiter MAG instrument?

The Mission

Solar Orbiter was launched by NASA in 2020, and has spent 4 years in the inner solar system, collecting magnetic field data and performing close fly-bys of the Sun. In February 2025, it will perform a fly-by of Venus to incline its orbit and enable the first ever images of the Sun’s poles.

This role empowers scientists to study the Sun-Earth interaction, the transfer of energy from the Sun into space, space weather and energetic particle acceleration.


Duties and responsibilities

As Operations Manager, you will:

Operate and develop the Python and MATLAB software data pipeline that turns the raw telemetry data from space into high quality public science. You will be a DevOps engineer migrating our code to a new hybrid cloud data platform Craft precise command sequences for the MAG instrument in space, maximising the data we collect and can transmit back to Earth Manage the Data Scientist who will calibrate the science data, together ensuring a reliable delivery of data to the scientific community


The ideal candidate

You have a background in data processing or have worked with experimental data from scientific instrumentation. You are passionate about data integrity and validity and have managed production software environments You have a track record of technical line management or mentoring You have experience in programming in Python or Matlab, ideally in a team environment, using recognised coding standards An interest in space measurements, especially magnetic field data, is highly desirable, however, we are also interested in hearing from data analysts from any field who take pride in doing a good job, excel at problem solving and like to be challenged

Essential requirements

Degree (or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience) in physics, computer science, engineering, or a closely related discipline with significant exposure to software for science instrumentation or research applications Demonstrated experience of working in a team, ideally in a leadership role, to deliver a technical project within a required deadline Excellent written and verbal communication skills


The prospect of collaborating in a diverse team of intelligent and skilled engineers and scientists at the Imperial College Space Magnetometer Lab, building, testing and operating instruments for NASA and ESAThe chance to routinely command and operate a world class science instrument in spaceThe opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 38 days off a year)

National AI Awards 2025

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

10 AI Recruitment Agencies in the UK You Should Know (2025 Job‑Seeker Guide)

Generative‑AI hype has translated into real hiring: Lightcast recorded +57 % year‑on‑year growth in UK adverts mentioning “machine learning”, “LLM” or “gen‑AI” during Q1 2025. Yet supply still lags. Roughly 18,000 core AI professionals work in the UK, but monthly live vacancies hover around 1,400–1,600. That mismatch makes specialist recruiters invaluable—opening stealth vacancies, advising on salary bands and fast‑tracking interview loops. But many tech agencies sprinkle “AI” on their website without an active desk. To save you time, we vetted 50 + consultancies and kept only those with: A registered UK head office (verified via Companies House). A named AI/Machine‑Learning or Data practice.

AI Jobs Skills Radar 2026: Emerging Frameworks, Languages & Tools to Learn Now

As the UK’s AI sector accelerates towards a £1 trillion tech economy, the job landscape is rapidly evolving. Whether you’re an aspiring AI engineer, a machine learning specialist, or a data-driven software developer, staying ahead of the curve means more than just brushing up on Python. You’ll need to master a new generation of frameworks, languages, and tools shaping the future of artificial intelligence. Welcome to the AI Jobs Skills Radar 2026—your definitive guide to the emerging AI tech stack that employers will be looking for in the next 12–24 months. Updated annually for accuracy and relevance, this guide breaks down the top tools, frameworks, platforms, and programming languages powering the UK’s most in-demand AI careers.

How to Find Hidden AI Jobs in the UK Using Professional Bodies like BCS, IET & the Turing Society

Stop Scrolling Job Boards and Start Tapping the Real AI Market Every week a new headline announces millions of pounds flowing into artificial-intelligence research, defence initiatives, or health-tech pilots. Read the news and you could be forgiven for thinking that AI vacancies must be everywhere—just grab your laptop, open LinkedIn, and pick a role. Yet anyone who has hunted seriously for an AI job in the United Kingdom knows the truth is messier. A large percentage of worthwhile AI positions—especially specialist or senior posts—never appear on public boards. They emerge inside university–industry consortia, defence labs, NHS data-science teams, climate-tech start-ups, and venture studios. Most are filled through referral or conversation long before a recruiter drafts a formal advert. If you wait for a vacancy link, you are already at the back of the queue. The surest way to beat that dynamic is to embed yourself in the professional bodies and grassroots communities where the work is conceived. The UK has a dense network of such organisations: the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS); the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) with its Artificial Intelligence Technical Network; the Alan Turing Institute and its student-driven Turing Society; the Royal Statistical Society (RSS); the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and its Mechatronics, Informatics & Control Group; public-funding engines like UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); and an ecosystem of Slack channels and Meetup groups that trade genuine, timely intel. This article is a practical, step-by-step guide to using those networks. You will learn: Why professional bodies matter more than algorithmic job boards Exactly which special-interest groups (SIGs) and technical networks to join How to turn CPD events into informal interviews How to monitor grant databases so you hear about posts months before they exist Concrete scripts, portfolio tactics, and outreach rhythms that convert visibility into offers Follow the playbook and you move from passive applicant to insider—the colleague who hears about a role before it is written down.