Equipment Design Authority

Location: Bristol or Stevenage (Hybrid – 3–4 days per week on-site)

Salary: Up to £65,000 per annum (depending on experience) - Permanent

Benefits: Bonus, pension up to 14%, 15 flexi-days, enhanced parental leave, and more

Clearance Required: British citizen or dual national with British citizenship

Sector: Defence / Engineering / Electronics

We’re supporting a leading defence organisation in their search for an experienced Equipment Design Authority to oversee the Launch Management System (LMS) on two major UK defence programmes. This is a vital leadership role, combining systems thinking with technical breadth across software, electronics, and hardware design. You will ensure that LMS products are technically sound, fully certified, and continually evolving to meet the high standards of performance, safety, and reliability demanded by global defence stakeholders.

As the Design Authority, you will be the technical guardian of the LMS — a system critical to the safe and reliable launch of missile systems. You’ll work across a wide range of disciplines to ensure the successful delivery, certification, and in-service support of this essential capability.

• Leading the technical development and lifecycle evolution of the LMS
• Ensuring design integrity, verification, validation, and certification
• Managing technical risks, issues, and design improvements
• Collaborating with stakeholders across systems, software, mechanical, and support engineering
• Supporting future LMS enhancements to meet customer capability needs

• Experience in technical leadership of complex electronics subsystems
• Strong systems engineering and requirements engineering background
• Familiarity with the full lifecycle of software and hardware product development
• Ability to guide certification and test validation processes
• Effective communicator with the ability to build relationships across engineering domains
• A broad technical appreciation – including design, development, support, and safety

• Annual bonus:
  Up to £2,500 (subject to company performance)
• Pension:
  Up to 14% combined employer/employee contribution
• Overtime & Flexible Leave:
  Up to 15 additional flexi-days annually, Overtime X1.25
• Enhanced Parental Leave:
  Including adoption, paternity, fertility treatment, and neonatal care
• Excellent Facilities:
  On-site subsidised meals, free parking, etc.
• Flexible Working:
  Hybrid model supporting work–life balance

Due to the nature of the work, applicants must be British citizens or dual nationals with British citizenship. Security clearance checks will be required following an offer.