KUKA Robot Operator & Programmer

Position type: Full-time
Job Code: E-M-COMPENG01
Location: Loanhead
Salary: £40,000

About the company

Skyrora are the UK’s leading New-Space rocket company. Skyrora’s mission is to provide a versatile and dedicated orbital launch capability to serve small satellite manufacturers. Leading the UK’s effort to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly launch vehicle, Skyrora utilises innovative engineering solutions for the construction of its launch vehicles and liquid propulsion technologies.

Small and Micro satellites are increasingly used in everyday life for communications, environmental monitoring, scientific research, and more. There is currently a bottleneck for access to space for small satellites with a lack of launch vehicles, and it is Skyrora’s goal to open this access to space, to unlock the potential for all. Skyrora aim to serve this small satellite market using Skyrora XL, our three-stage orbital launch vehicle.

We design and build our launch vehicles in house and aim to launch from the UK with our Skyrora XL, a 3-stage liquid launch vehicle. We have built the UK’s largest test engine facility, this ground-breaking testing infrastructure will aid the testing of engines on our orbital Skyrora XL launch vehicle, allowing Skyrora to both become the first British company to launch from British soil and deliver sovereign UK launch capability at scale in the long term. In our engine development, we performed over 120 liquid engine tests in 2020 alone. Globally, we have recently secured over £3M in ESA funding, to accelerate our development activities.

Team working is at our core, and we face new challenges every day. Every member of Skyrora’s diverse team demonstrates entrepreneurial flexibility to cooperate and establish sustainable solutions to all challenges thrown at us.

Development of a space-capable launch vehicle ensures Skyrora is constantly challenging itself. Why not challenge yourself and join the team trying to get the UK back to space?

About the Role

Skyrora are the UK’s leading New-Space small satellite launch vehicle engineering company, based in Edinburgh. Skyrora’s mission is to provide a versatile and dedicated sovereign launch capability to serve the world-leading satellite manufacturers local to the UK and Europe. Leading the UK’s effort to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly launch vehicle, Skyrora combines both world-leading innovative engineering solutions for the construction of its launch vehicles and liquid propulsion technologies. A focus of our technology approach is to minimise the impact on the immediate environment.

Small and Micro satellites are being used more and more in everyday life, with the manufacturing rate increasing year by year. They assist us by tracking forest fires, providing communications to remote places and capturing high-definition images of the Earth, to name a few. There is currently a lack of launch opportunities for smallsats, and it is Skyrora’s goal to open this access to space, to unlock the potential for all.

We design and build our launch vehicles in house and aim to launch from the UK with our Skyrora XL, a 3-stage liquid launch vehicle. We have built the UK’s largest test engine facility, this groundbreaking testing infrastructure will aid the testing of engines on our orbital Skyrora XL launch vehicle, allowing Skyrora to both become the first British company to launch from British soil and deliver sovereign UK launch capability at scale in the long term. In our engine development, we performed over 120 liquid engine tests in 2020 alone. Globally, we have recently secured over £3M in ESA funding, to accelerate our development activities.

We have built the UK’s largest test engine facility, this groundbreaking testing infrastructure will aid the testing of engines on our orbital Skyrora XL launch vehicle, allowing Skyrora to both become the first British company to launch from British soil and deliver sovereign UK launch capability at scale in the long term!
Team working is at our core and we face new challenges every day. Every member of Skyrora’s diverse team demonstrates entrepreneurial flexibility to cooperate and establish sustainable solutions to all the challenges thrown at us; from creating the legal landscape enabling space flight in UK, to societal challenge of fighting global pandemics such as COVID-19, Skyrora is constantly challenging itself.

Why not challenge yourself in trying to get the UK back to space?

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

  • Develop CNC programs as well as support the design and development of fixturing
  • Perform and improve machine set ups
  • Troubleshoot machines, process, and cutting tool problems.
  • Design, prepare, repair and improves fixtures
  • Use CAD/CAM software to program multi-axis milling robot to machine complex composite structures and components
  • Translate engineering drawings into reliable R&D and production machining processes
  • Select tooling and maintain tool library

Essential Experience & Skills

  • 4+ years of CAM programming experience
  • 4+ years of machine shop experience in programming and operating CNC equipment (multi-axis mills)
  • 4+ years of experience in CNC programming
  • Experience in the composite parts machining
  • Knowledge of the programs SprutCAM and Autodesk
  • Experience working with KUKA robotic arms

Additional Requirements

  • Valid passport, including right to work in the UK
  • Full driving licence is preferred
  • Travel to and from sites in Southern Scotland as and when required
  • Must be willing to work in a dynamic teamwork-oriented environment
  • Must be willing to work outside of normal hours when required in order to ensure critical company deadlines are met
  • Must be determined to make a significant contribution to UK Space launch capability

To apply, please send your CV and Cover Letter to careers@skyrora.com with the subject header displaying the job code E-M-COMPENG01.
The deadline is May 31, 2022.