About this role
Bids & Grants Manager
This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.
About us
Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit.
We 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.
Our 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.
We'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.
Position Overview
London · Full time · On-site
You'll run our bids for grants and contracts from ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK, the European Innovation Council and others. That frees our engineers to focus on the technical content.
What you'll do
- Track funding calls and tenders, and recommend which to pursue
- Plan and manage bids end to end: timelines, contributors, reviews and submission
- Write and edit the non-technical sections: management, finance, impact and commercialisation
- Build bid budgets, and work with finance on cost models and eligibility rules
- Coordinate consortium partners and their paperwork
- Manage post-award reporting and compliance
What you'll bring
- Experience writing and managing grant or tender bids, ideally for ESA, Horizon Europe, Innovate UK or the UK Space Agency
- Excellent writing and editing
- Strong organisation under deadline pressure
- Confidence with budgets and funding rules
Nice to have
- ESA procurement experience (esa-star)
- A space or deep-tech background
- Public-sector contracting
What We Offer
- A high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company
- EMI share options (UK employees)
- 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
- Enhanced Parental Leave
- Cycle to work schemes
- Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics
- Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials
We 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.