HR Lead at Foundational (London, United Kingdom)HR Lead

HR Lead This is a future role. We're building a shortlist now and will contact you when it opens.

Foundational is building the most precise picture of Earth and orbit, using lasers fired from the ground. We call it ground truth for orbit. We design and run low-cost, autonomous satellite laser ranging stations. They measure the distance to satellites with extreme precision, day and night. Our data platform turns those measurements into tracking data and orbit products for satellite operators, space agencies and governments. We also build our own flight-proven laser retroreflector arrays, so any satellite can be tracked. Our station network is expanding across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. The data supports resilient navigation, Earth observation and the safe, sustainable use of space. We're a small, fast-moving team of engineers, scientists and operators in London. We're backed by venture investors and supported by ESA, the UK Space Agency, Innovate UK and the European Innovation Council.

Position Overview London · Full time · On-site You'll own hiring as we grow, from the first CV to the signed offer, and make sure every candidate has a great experience.

• Run full-cycle recruitment across engineering, commercial and operations roles
• Source specialists in small technical fields such as laser ranging, geodesy and optics
• Run our applicant tracking system, pipelines and reporting
• Design interview processes with hiring managers
• Manage our talent pool and keep promising candidates warm
• Shape our employer brand, careers content and onboarding

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• In-house or agency recruitment experience for technical roles
• Strong sourcing skills for niche profiles
• Strong organisation, and a fast, respectful candidate experience
• Confidence advising founders and hiring managers

• Space, defence or deep-tech hiring
• Experience with Ashby
• Visa, right-to-work and security-clearance hiring processes

• A high-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed spacetech company
• EMI share options (UK employees)
• 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Cycle to work schemes
• Work alongside engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software and astrodynamics
• Offices in central London, with snacks, tea, coffee and regular socials

We actively champion underrepresented groups and seek to bridge gaps in our workforce. If you're excited by the role but don't match every point, or you’re seeking a part time role, please apply anyway and add a note into your application. Building the best team is our priority.