Ever considered a career in the space industry?
by Ginette Davies · ChronicleLiveThe UK space industry is growing at an incredible pace and the North East is right at the heart of it.
Global defence technology giant Lockheed Martin has made a strong commitment to the region. It is already one of the key partners in NESST, the trail-blazing North East Space Skills and Technology centre based at Northumbria University, which will open this autumn.
In addition, it has pledged support for local SMEs and supply chains and to position the region as a leader in a high-growth, export-driven sector.
Add to the mix Lockheed Martin UK’s annual space camps, again held on Tyneside, where youngsters get a very real glimpse of the possibilities the future has in store, and the stage is set for the North East to play an integral role in shaping the UK’s future in space.
Skilled job creation
Nationally, Lockheed Martin UK has a long-term goal of creating as many as 2,000 new, highly-skilled jobs and as part of that commitment, it has announced its first tranche of vacancies in the North East.
The Newcastle-based roles highlight Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the region, where it is already making great strides toward becoming a major player in space innovation.
Lockheed Martin is encouraging people to explore the available vacancies and see how they can become part of this fast-growing industry.
Currently, 17 roles are available in the region, with many more to follow. The new opportunities are for lead system engineers, nuclear/radiation-hardening engineers, trainee and junior system engineering integration and test engineers and a host of other engineer-related vacancies.
Rod Drury, vice president for Global Space at Lockheed Martin, said these jobs show the sheer variety of opportunities available in the sector and how many people already have transferable skills.
He said: “This is about creating new jobs, building new capability, and ensuring the UK has what it needs to defend its critical assets in space. It’s a genuine opportunity to grow the UK space sector while strengthening national security and to position the North East at the heart of that future.”
These exciting new opportunities will allow the successful applicants to work on nationally significant programmes and play a part in shaping the future of space and security.
Lockheed Martin UK’s approach combines sovereign UK control with access to world-leading technology and expertise, ensuring the country can effectively defend its space systems.
Lockheed Martin UK, a long-standing partner to UK defence and industry, has a proven track record of delivering major programmes in-country.
This approach reflects a continued commitment to investing in UK people, skills, and sovereign capability.
By combining UK industrial strength with world-class technology, it represents a forward-looking opportunity to secure both economic prosperity and strategic advantage for the UK.