Lead Engineer, Systems Engineer, Test Engineer

Location:

Coventry, UK (Foleshill Enterprise Park) Core

Hours:

08:00–16:35 (Mon–Thu) | 08:00–15:10 (Fri) Vacancy Type:
Full-time, 6 month FTC and onsite (potential hybrid working subject to operational needs) Salary: £45,000 – £55,000 per annum (subject to experience) + bonus + benefits

Lead engineering that directly impacts frontline capability.

We’re looking for a Lead Engineer to take technical ownership of military vehicle systems, supporting major defence programmes and next‑generation mobility solutions. This is a key role where you’ll lead engineering delivery from concept through to validated design, ensuring performance, reliability and safety in some of the most demanding environments.

You’ll thrive in this role if you enjoy solving complex engineering challenges, influencing teams and delivering real‑world outcomes. Working across high‑profile programmes including support to the UK MoD protected mobility fleet, you’ll play a central role in shaping how our vehicle systems are designed, developed and delivered. If you want your work to genuinely protect lives, this could be the perfect role for you.

At NP Aerospace, we know our success comes from our people. That’s why we invest in benefits that support your health, reward your hard work, and help you grow your career:

• Performance rewards – discretionary bonus opportunities
• Flex your day – flexible start and finish times (subject to manager approval and operational needs)
• Time to recharge – 25 days’ holiday + 8 bank holidays, with the option to buy more through our Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Support for Defence – two weeks’ paid leave for Reservists and Cadets, plus paid leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs)
• Future security – competitive pension scheme (9% combined employer/employee contributions)
• Peace of mind – life cover at 3x base salary
• Health & wellbeing first – BHSF Cash Healthcare Plan to support everyday health costs
• Grow with us – career development and advancement opportunities within a global business
• Supportive environment – a team culture built on innovation, collaboration, and purpose

In this role, you’ll take full technical ownership of assigned vehicle system projects, ensuring designs meet customer requirements, regulatory standards and operational performance expectations. You’ll lead engineering activities from early concept through to validation, giving you end‑to‑end responsibility and visibility across the full product lifecycle.

You’ll guide and support design teams, helping translate complex requirements into practical, manufacturable solutions. This will strengthen your leadership capability while allowing you to influence design decisions, manage engineering change and ensure solutions balance performance, cost and manufacturability.

You’ll work closely with Production and Quality teams to resolve issues, support prototype builds and lead validation activities. This gives you hands‑on involvement in real‑world engineering challenges while building your experience across testing, integration and continuous improvement.

You’ll also engage directly with customers, contributing to technical reviews, bid activity and project delivery. This provides exposure to customer‑facing engineering, helping you develop commercial awareness and the ability to communicate complex technical solutions clearly.

We’re looking for someone who combines strong technical expertise with leadership capability and a practical engineering mindset. You’ll ideally have:

• Degree (or equivalent) in an engineering or related discipline
• Strong understanding of mechanical and/or electro‑mechanical system design
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings and applying design standards
• Knowledge of manufacturing techniques (machining, fabrication, composites, etc.)
• Experience with configuration management and engineering change control
• Solid understanding of systems engineering principles
• Proven problem‑solving capability with a focus on real‑world performance
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across technical teams
• Experience in defence, aerospace or automotive…