Grant Writer

At NewOrbit Space, our mission is to engineer the lowest orbiting satellites on Earth to rapidly advance global connectivity and insight.

We are currently building satellites that can operate at an altitude of just 200 km - one-third that of conventional satellites. Thanks to our propulsion system AURA, we can compensate for the atmospheric drag at ultra-low altitudes.

Your Role
We are seeking a Grant Writer to secure non-dilutive funding that accelerates our roadmap for electric propulsion and ULEO satellites. You will own the end-to-end grant lifecycle — from opportunity scouting and bid/no-bid decisions to proposal authorship, budgeting, submission, and post-award reporting — partnering closely with our engineering and business teams. Your ability to translate complex technical work into funder-ready narratives will directly enable on-orbit demos, ground test campaigns, and scale-up milestones.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and qualify funding opportunities across agencies and programmes (e.g., ESA, UKSA/Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, EIC, national space funds, and relevant foundations/corporates).

• Lead bid strategy and timelines; run internal kick-offs, define win themes, and manage the proposal calendar and compliance checklist.

• Author high-impact proposals, including technical narratives, workplans, TRLs, impact and exploitation plans, risk registers, IP/knowledge-management summaries, ethics, and EDI statements.

• Build credible budgets, justifications, and resource plans in partnership with Business and Engineering teams; ensure cost realism and eligibility.

• Coordinate inputs (CVs, letters of support, partner commitments, data rights) and maintain a library of reusable boilerplate and evidence.

• Translate engineering material (models, test data, architectures) into accessible prose, figures, and Gantt/RACI artefacts tailored to evaluator criteria.

• Manage multi-party bids and consortia (universities, primes, SMEs); draft and align on roles, WPs, deliverables, and collaboration agreements.

• Ensure proposal compliance with call texts, guidance, and portals (e.g., ESA STAR, EU Funding & Tenders, Innovate portals), including forms and attachments.

• Track and report portfolio performance; prepare clarifications, interviews, and due-diligence responses; support contract negotiation to award.

• Own post-award obligations (kick-off documentation, periodic reports, milestones, audits) in collaboration with project managers.

• Maintain a pipeline/CRM of opportunities, deadlines, outcomes, and lessons learned; brief leadership on go/no-go recommendations.

Fundamental Requirements

• ≥3 years of hands-on grant/proposal writing with successful awards in deep-tech or aerospace (agency, prime, or startup environment).

• Demonstrated wins with programmes such as ESA (GSTP/ARTES/Discovery), UKSA/Innovate UK, Horizon Europe/EIC, or analogous national/EU schemes.

• Exceptional writing and editing skills: clear structure, evaluator-focused narratives, and strong evidence use (data, TRLs, milestones, KPIs).

• Proficiency building compliant budgets and work-breakdown structures; comfortable with Excel and portal-based submissions.

• Ability to digest complex technical content (propulsion, power, GNC, materials, testing) and collaborate closely with engineers and scientists.

• Strong project management: owns timelines, unblocks contributors, and delivers error-free submissions under tight deadlines.

• Familiarity with IP, publication, export control, and security considerations (works with Legal when needed).

• Skilled stakeholder manager with partners, universities, primes, and funders; confident in interviews and clarification rounds.

• High integrity, attention to detail, and a pragmatic, outcome-oriented approach in an agile, fast-moving environment.
  

• Pioneering Space Technology – You'll contribute to launching groundbreaking technology into space. Your work on our revolutionary ion propulsion system and ULEO satellite platform will redefine satellite operations and disrupt traditional LEO operations.

• Unmatched Ownership and Impact – You'll experience a level of ownership that's rare in the space industry. You will participate in the full lifecycle of satellite technology.

• Equity and Competitive Salary – You'll receive not just a competitive salary but also company ownership stakes. Your dedication and hard work are rewarded with a share in the technology you help build, ensuring you're a part of our collective success.

• Comprehensive Benefits Package – Including private health insurance with dental and optical coverage, annual healthcare check-ups etc.

• Hybrid Work - A hybrid setup with one dedicated remote day per week.

We provide a relocation package and sponsor your visa if you’re joining us from abroad.