Lead Systems Engineer; DA

Overview

Lead Systems Engineer / Design Authority (DA) for the NATO JEWCS Integrated Project Team (IPT) within the CEMA and ICS Sector. Based across the south of the UK, the role supports the development of next‑generation Electronic Warfare (EW) Training System assets for Land, Sea and Air, plus IT infrastructure to enable planning, programming and review for NATO exercises. The successful candidate provides technical oversight and expertise across the full systems engineering lifecycle, coordinating with internal and supplier design teams to ensure the architecture meets Customer and business requirements.

• Provide technical oversight and expertise for the overall system solution, ensuring architecture is developed and delivered to meet requirements.
• Work with SMEs to review and advise on subsystem technical solutions; lead support to the Project Chief Engineer to ensure designs are fit for purpose and compliant with customer requirements and safety standards.
• Lead the architecture team through the project lifecycle; influence requirements and enable design decisions and trade‑offs.
• Assess and manage technical risks and opportunities; support test planning and requirements verification to achieve certification and delivery.
• Collaborate with stakeholders including customers and end users; present architecture materials at design reviews internally and externally.
• Act as a technical interface between the end customer and Leonardo Engineering teams; support knowledge sharing and best practice.
• Support the guidance and development of junior Systems Engineers; contribute to engineering milestones as part of the Prime team.
• Advise sub‑system design teams through design reviews; deputise for the Project Chief Engineer when required.
• Travel within the UK and abroad to meet with customers and industry partners.

• A degree (or equivalent experience) in a STEM subject; strong numerical, analytical and design skills.
• Strong understanding of systems and project life cycles for sub‑systems, baselines, and change control; systems architecture activities within the lifecycle.
• Self‑motivated with problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities in design‑complex environments.
• Experience influencing system design and integration of a major system; stakeholder management in high‑pressure environments.
• Experience passing Design Reviews and managing remedial actions with sub‑contractors and prime integration teams.
• Ideally knowledge of military EW/radar passive and active RF; strong understanding of systems integration and progressive assurance.
• Experience making design decisions by trading off functionality, performance and cost.
• Chartered engineer or member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening per the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, possibly including The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information on security and vetting, please visit the Leonardo Careers site.

Salary Range:
Lead Engineer £67k – £81k. Leonardo UK operates a grade‑based salary framework with broad bands. Benefits include a comprehensive package supporting wellbeing, career development and work–life balance, with options such as flexible working, pension, health and private cover, and learning resources (Coursera/Linked In Learning). Details and eligibility are provided by the company’s benefits program.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security with over 53,000 employees. Leonardo is committed to an inclusive and accessible workplace and welcomes applicants with accessibility needs during the recruitment process.