The picture is one of sustained growth, and space domain awareness sits right in the middle of it. MOD expenditure with industry supported a total of 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24, an increase of 11% compared to the previous financial year MOD supported employment estimates for 2023/24 on GOV.UK. That rise did not come from nowhere. The total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reached 239,000 in 2022/23, itself an increase of 6% on the year before the MOD employment estimates for 2022/23.
Recruitment demand has moved in step. The defence sector continued to be an attractive employer, with surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022 GOV.UK's analysis of the defence sector's contribution to the economy. Investment is feeding the pipeline too: more than 1,700 new jobs are being created across the UK defence sector following at least £1.4 billion in foreign direct investment committed since July 2024 GOV.UK's report on the defence dividend. For anyone hiring in this space today, that means a growing market and real competition for skilled people.
Space domain awareness is the work of tracking, cataloguing and understanding objects in orbit, from satellites to debris, so operators can protect assets and avoid collisions. It blends several disciplines, which is why it draws such a wide mix of people. The breadth matters when you look at the scale of the sector: MOD expenditure supported a total of 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24 the 2023/24 MOD employment estimates, and space-related work is a growing slice of that total.
The roles in demand tend to cluster in a few areas:
Many of these skills transfer in from aerospace, telecoms, software and academia. That is good news for employers, because it widens the pool. It also means you are often competing with civilian tech firms for the same talent, so speed and clarity in your hiring process count for a lot.
Start with a sharp, honest role description. Space domain awareness roles can sound abstract, so spell out the day-to-day work, the clearance you need and the mission the person will support. People in this field are motivated by purpose, so lead with it.
Build clearance into your timeline from day one. Security vetting takes time, and the best people rarely wait around. Keep them warm, communicate often and be honest about what the process involves. With surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022 GOV.UK's defence sector analysis, strong applicants have options, so a slow or silent process loses them fast.
Widen your search beyond traditional defence backgrounds. With at least £1.4 billion in foreign direct investment committed since July 2024 creating more than 1,700 new jobs across the sector GOV.UK's defence dividend report, the competition for skilled people is only growing. Look to adjacent sectors, support security clearance for promising candidates, and treat every conversation as a chance to show what the work means.
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