Space Technology Consultant Works on Cutting-Edge Projects

Name: Rowan Curtis

PhD: Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford, 2022

What is your current job?

I am a Consultant in Space Technology for PA Consulting, based in London.

I work both on the delivery of technical projects (coding, space systems engineering, etc.), and on business development (writing proposals, etc.).

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I love working at the cutting edge of an industry that is highly related to current affairs.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Knowledge of building hardware for space missions + coding skills (Python and Matlab).

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

• Learning on the job

• Coursera

• YouTube

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

Referral through a friend

PhD ➡️ Postdoc ➡️ Consultant

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Learn to code, stay up to date with current affairs and your area of interest, and perhaps do a course in space systems engineering.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

It was a difficult decision, but I realised you can still be a scientist and not work in academia! I feel I have more of an impact now than I did as an academic. My quality of life is also much better.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

You are not selling out if you don’t stay in academia. Industry has a lot of great jobs, and you can maintain links with academia/still write papers, etc.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

I come from a working class background and always found it hard to accept that money mattered to me more than those around me with family money. There are a lot of people in academia who are able to earn less because they have family money, and they don’t understand the impact an industry salary might have on your life.

And for those interested, what was your main area of research?

Lunar science. Particularly the way light scatters from the lunar surface and the useful things you can do with that information in terms of mission planning and surface science.