Project Chief Engineer

Salary - £80k to £95k

Leonardo UK operates a grade‑based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo has an exciting opportunity for a Chief Engineer / Systems Design Authority (SDA) to join its NATO JEWCS Integrated Project Team (IPT), within the CEMA and ICS Sector based across the south of the UK.

We are producing the next generation EW Training System assets covering Land/Sea and Air together with an IT infrastructure to enable effective planning, programming and review for NATO exercises.

Working on real engineering problems and supporting teams designing and developing solutions that sit at the heart of our products… Not to mention, we offer an award‑winning package.

• Be delegated by the business as the Design Authority & Company Technical Signatory for the required products.
• Represent, supported by Subject Matter Experts, the company when engaging with the customer and End User to define the technical solution.
• Ensure independent product assurance through Design Reviews and ensuring company procedures are adhered to.
• Be responsible for delivered product design, compliance, safety and integrity.
• Work as part of a multi‑disciplined project team in close partnership with key stakeholders.

• Own the technical solution for all phases of the solution development by representing Leonardo with external stakeholders and representing the Line of Business with internal stakeholders to ensure all elements of Product development are considered as part of the integrated solution.
• Work closely with development teams and supply chain to ensure that the overall solution meets the End User’s need by understanding their requirements and Concept of Use and Operation.
• Ensure the products are compliant with any performance, legislative and contractual requirements, with a strategy for completing a traceable evidence set in place.
• Ensure robust quality, performance, cost and time trade‑offs are undertaken and then to establish the technical solution coherent with the agreed budgets and timescales.
• Ensure a high-level strategy for requirements matched to traceable evidence is set in place and executed consistently across the products and projects.

This is a hybrid role, with expectations to work out of our site in Basildon, Southampton or Luton around 2 days per week.

You will have proven experience in a similar senior role and a solid working knowledge of Radar or Comms.

• A strong background in development of complex military products.
• Have experience in developing systems solutions particularly with the radar/communication and EW domains.
• Experience of working with Requirements, Test Qualification and Acceptance strategies.
• Experience of managing the Design Standard and associated Configuration Management.
• Experience in gaining Design Certification and Customer Acceptance.
• Have the ability to produce and develop innovative technical and system solutions, compliant with requirements within agreed programme budgets and timescales.
• Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, to be able to interact with SMEs and End Users of various nationalities regarding a wide range of technical and operational topics.
• Be a self‑motivated leader and team player capable of working with minimum direction.

• Knowledge of use of EW equipment in the customer domain.
• Knowledge of Training Development.
• Knowledge of Software Development.
• Degree qualified in a relevant Engineering or Scientific discipline (or equivalent).
• Chartered engineer / member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).
• Have substantial analytical and technical problem solving skills.

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may…