The "SIM card" for satellites? (And a lot of jobs ;)

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the latest issue of Find a Space Job.

We often focus on the companies building and launching satellites. But for every satellite in orbit, there's a huge challenge on the ground: how do you talk to it?

This week, I spoke with Pierre, co-founder and CEO of Skynopy. They are building what he compares to a "SIM card for satellites", a simple, end-to-end service that handles the entire ground station problem for satellite operators. It's a fascinating look at building the essential "picks and shovels" of the space economy.

We also talked about why European engineering talent is world-class 😎 More on that later.

First, this week's jobs 👇

🚀 Spotlight: New on findaspacejob.com

Here are a few of the fresh roles added directly to the site this week.

• Network Engineering Internship @ Skynopy (France)

  👉 You've just listened to the CEO explain their vision for a global ground station network (do it before applying lol). This is your chance to actually help build it. A core internship right at the heart of their mission.

• Software Engineering Internship @ Skynopy (France)

  👉 Pierre compared their service to a 'SIM card for satellites' on the podcast. This internship is about writing the code that makes that SIM card work. A great software role at the core of their product.

• ESA Graduate Trainee in Science Payload Preparation @ ESA (Netherlands)

  👉 A fantastic opportunity for a graduate at ESA. 'Science Payload Preparation' means you're the one getting the actual telescope or scientific instrument ready for its mission in space. A very cool, hands-on role with huge responsibility.

• Satellite Operations PhD @ University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)

  👉 [still open] A great PhD for someone who wants to stay close to the operational side of space. This isn't just abstract theory; it's deep research into the real-world challenges of flying satellites. Perfect for shaping the future of mission control.

🚀 Building the Backbone of Space with Skynopy

This week on the podcast, my conversation with Pierre, co-founder of SkyNopy, is a masterclass in finding a critical bottleneck and building a business to solve it.

Inspired by his time at Airbus OneWeb and Loft Orbital, he saw that ground stations were a major headache for satellite operators. Skynopy's solution is to create a network of ground stations and offer a simple, plug-and-play service.

(It’s not as simple as that, but that’s the goal… and it’s looking very very good for them)

A few key takeaways from our conversation:

• The business model innovation of turning ground station access into a scalable, end-to-end service.

• How strategic partnerships allowed them to build a network of 15 stations quickly without heavy investment. (Business is about people!)

• His advice for entrepreneurs on the importance of picking your battles wisely and staying resilient.

• The human side of building a startup: the importance of a strong team and good relationships.

If you're interested in the business of space or how the real infrastructure gets built, this is a must-listen.

Listen to the full episode on YouTube or Spotify.

🧠 A Quick Thought: On European Talent

One thing Pierre said that I completely agree with is his high praise for European engineering talent. He mentioned that many top teams in major global tech companies are led by European engineers, and that the talent here is a huge advantage for building a competitive company.

He's right. The quality of engineering and research coming out of Europe is world-class, and it’s why the jobs we feature every week are at the cutting edge of the industry.

Let’s keep going 💪

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I need your help to expand our reach:

1. Tell me: Which company (or kind of role) should I add next? I’ll use your replies to prioritise upcoming job hunts.

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Your input directly shapes our next steps!

That’s all for the week. Hope you enjoy the conversation.

As usual, more to come in findaspacejob.com during the week.

Until next Thursday,

Jaime
Find a Space Job

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