The defence sector is one of the more active corners of the UK jobs market today. 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, according to the MOD's supported employment estimates for 2023/24. That builds on the year before, when the total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reached 239,000 in 2022/23, an increase of 6% on the previous financial year, as reported in the 2022/23 estimates.
Recruitment across the sector has been climbing too. The defence sector continued to be an attractive employer, with surveyed recruitment growing by 17.8% in 2022, according to GOV.UK's report on the sector's economic contribution. Fresh money is feeding into that picture: 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, as set out in the government's defence dividend announcement. Space and satellite work sits inside this wider growth, small today but expanding fast.
Space and satellite programmes pull in a spread of skills that overlap with the rest of defence but carry their own edge. Think spacecraft and payload systems engineers, orbital and mission analysts, ground-station and communications specialists, and radio frequency engineers. Add the software side: embedded engineers, data engineers turning satellite feeds into usable intelligence, and modelling and simulation experts.
Security threads through all of it. Cyber security specialists protect satellite links and ground infrastructure, while programme managers and systems integrators keep long, complex projects on track. Many of these roles need people cleared to work on sensitive material, so employers are competing for a narrow pool. That is the dynamic to watch: demand is growing against a backdrop of sector-wide recruitment already up by 17.8% in 2022, per the same GOV.UK report, which makes specialist space talent harder to secure.
Start with clarity. Write role descriptions that separate must-have skills from nice-to-haves, and be honest about clearance requirements up front so you don't lose good people late in the process. Many space and satellite skills transfer from aerospace, telecoms and academia, so widen your search beyond people who already have defence experience.
Move quickly and communicate often. Skilled engineers rarely stay on the market for long, and a slow process loses them. Keep interview stages tight, give feedback fast, and set clear expectations about timelines and security checks. With sector recruitment growing and new investment landing, the employers who plan ahead and treat people well will win the hires that matter.
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