Lead Engineer, Systems Engineer, Engineering Design & Technologists

Company Description

General Dynamics Mission Systems engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of more than 13,000 top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defence and scientific arenas. In the UK, we are leading the way in avionics and communication systems.

Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency.

The Lead Enginee r is responsible for the day-to-day technical leadership of the engineering team, ensuring delivery of engineering work packages in alignment with strategic objectives, cost constraints, schedule commitments, and performance requirements. This role acts as a key technical authority within the project, bridging engineering execution with strategic oversight.

The Lead Engineer will work alongside the Programme Manager who will have overall Programmatic schedule and cost management responsibilities for the Project and will be the Technical customer facing for the programme and will be the Scope of the programme is maintained and delivered through all phases of the engineering activities.

• Lead and manage the engineering team, making technical decisions within the bounds of strategy, cost, time, and performance.
• Provide technical oversight and coordination across cross‑functional engineering disciplines.
• Own and manage engineering work packages, including tracking progress, resolving dependencies, and ensuring integration across packages.
• Report and manage engineering risks in accordance with the project’s Risk Management Plan.
• Prepare and deliver data packs for engineering phase reviews.
• Ensure all entry and exit criteria for engineering phases are met with appropriate content and quality.
• Liaise with the customer technical community to ensure alignment and responsiveness to technical queries.
• Collaborate with the project management community to ensure engineering delivery supports overall project goals.
• Address supplier‑related technical issues as they arise, ensuring timely resolution.
• Provide cover and continuity for both the Chief Engineer and Product Lead as required.

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate :

• Extensive experience as a technical manager on complex integration projects, with a proven track record of leading cross‑functional engineering teams.
• Demonstrated capability in managing technical delivery across multiple large‑scale integration programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including customer and supplier engagement.
• Expertise in systems engineering, including requirements management, system architecture, integration, verification, and validation.
• Proficiency in risk management, problem‑solving, and technical issue resolution.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across programmes.
• Deep technical understanding of engineering principles, life‑cycle management, and compliance with company and customer processes.
• Typically STEM degree qualified.

• Extensive experience in technical leadership roles
• Track record of successful delivery in complex engineering projects
• Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate cross‑functional teams

Salary for this position is £63,072 to £85,000, depending on experience plus our excellent flexible benefits package.

We offer hybrid working - for this role ideally we are looking for an average of 2 days per week per month on site.

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose, offering impressive benefits :

• A compressed nine‑day fortnight and compressed hours - which means every other Friday off.
• A personalized career development plan, alongside regular progress reviews - supporting and valuing your progression within the Company.
• A flexible working environment where your contributions are recognised and rewarded with flexible benefits

We believe in maintaining a diverse workplace - inclusive of beliefs, cultural background, job…