Radar Trials Systems Engineer

Job Description

Systems Engineer £38,000 - £48,000
Senior Systems Engineer £44,500 - £56,000
Principal Systems Engineer £53,500 - £68,000
Lead Systems Engineer £59,500 - £75,000

Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment.
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.

At Leonardo, we solve real‑world engineering challenges, designing and developing mission‑critical solutions that power some of the world’s most advanced defence and security systems.

Radar systems for fighter jets like the Typhoon and SAAB Gripen require Systems Engineers to plan and deliver Radar Trials & Analysis activity in support of product development.

There is a need for Systems Engineers to work on Radar Trials Analysis within the Mk0 Systems Engineering Team. A primary element of the role is to support planning of radar flight trials testing and analysis of trials data as well as supporting other Systems Engineering activities within the Captor‑E Mk0 team.

A key part of the role is working with a wide range of stakeholders, including hardware and software teams, test teams, international partner organisations as well as customer stakeholders.

Successful applicants may have previous experience within a similar industry or other complex engineering environment and some level of experience supporting engineering tests / trials and processing large datasets.

• Work with large datasets from radar trials. Use analytical techniques to evaluate radar performance against requirements and raise problem reports for detailed investigation.
• Apply signal & image processing techniques to extract actionable insights.

• Investigate system anomalies using real trials data, ensuring performance meets specifications.
• Contribute to System Verification and Validation (V&V) activities as part of the continuous development / enhancement of the Radar System.

• Work alongside multidisciplinary teams to support the development of innovative defence solutions.
• Depending on experience, lead technical initiatives, mentor junior engineers, and influence engineering roadmaps.

• Experience with MATLAB, particularly for use in analysis of large data sets.
• A science‑based Honours degree or equivalent industry experience.
• Excellent communication skills with an aptitude for cross‑discipline collaboration.
• A continuous improvement mindset and a proactive approach to problem solving.
• Willingness to travel & support flight trials.

• Understanding of radar or complex sensor systems.
• Python experience beneficial but not essential.
• Full V‑model lifecycle experience, with an emphasis on the middle‑to‑right‑side (Implementation, Integration, Testing and V&V).

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you do not feel you have depth of experience across all areas in the above.

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 apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company‑funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work‑life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

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