How big are the teams you oversee and where are they based?
They are quite big – we have around 25-30 engineers in my group, which are based in Chelmsford, Essex. We also utilise engineers from our European sites in Seville and Grenoble to meet peaks in workload. The flexibility provided by being part of a larger company works well for us.
Have you always worked in the space sector?
My background is in defence, which has turned out to be very transferable to space. This is because both environments are harsh in terms of the high levels of shock and vibration, and both require thermal management of electronics. The way in which we structure our projects and manage customer requirements is similar in both sectors. We have found that this makes it straightforward to hire people from the defence and aerospace industries, and help them move over into space.
Is Teledyne Space Imaging recruiting right now?
Absolutely. We are on a big growth trajectory as we introduce and expand different imaging technologies for space. We are growing our CMOS, CMOS TDI, and IR sensor portfolio, as well as continuing to offer our world-famous CCD solutions for space.
What’s more, we are now moving up to sub-system level, providing front end electronics and optical payloads to go with our sensors. That's a big step up for us in terms of the contract values that we can now bid for. We have a very successful R&D program, developing commercial front end electronics for space. We built on this commercial development to win the TRUTHS contract. This is a flagship ESA earth observation mission, where we will be delivering the IR sensor, along with the high reliability front end electronics enclosure. We are now bidding on further large agency missions that require both sensors and front-end electronics, as well as continuing to develop our commercial offerings for “New Space”.
We’re seeing a big diversification of our business and are looking for lots of talented people to help us deliver our growth strategy.
What's your favourite thing about working in the space sector?
I've always had an interest in space and Earth observation. Being able to facilitate ground-breaking missions in my current role is exciting. You see and hear about some of the missions we are involved with on the news, which is fantastic. I’m very privileged to have worked on so many high profile and prestigious space missions. This gives a good sense of job satisfaction and pride.
Also, the people who work in the space industry are among the best in the world. We can attract top talent because so many bright people are interested in working in the space sector.
What do you think the future is for Teledyne Space Imaging?
I think the move into Front End Electronics for space is very exciting. In the future, I would hope that we could offer front end electronics with every new sensor that we develop. Both high reliability grade, and commercial grade. That would be a massive increase in our offering.
Addressing the new space market is also part of our strategy going forwards. I would like to think that we could work towards having a stock of “space standards” that could be bought off-the-shelf by new space customers. There are a lot of new space customers out there. They want something quick, agile, and comprehensive. It is important for us to address this growing market.
Then, providing full camera solutions for earth observation is also a future aspiration.
Addressing these three strategic aims would help us achieve fantastic growth over the next ten years. Of course, there are numerous other opportunities that we are pursuing, and we will always tailor our strategy as the risk/reward profile of opportunities change with time. But it is great that we are operating in a growing industry with lots of opportunities to pursue, it’s very exciting!
What is the best part of your job?
I love working with experts at the top of their game, and Teledyne e2v is a very friendly place to work. We are always developing new and interesting technologies and products. Right from our origins, we have always been involved in cutting edge technology, and it’s great to work at Teledyne e2v and to play a part in the journey!
