Technical Lead, Engineering, Systems Engineer

From its roots in 1990, Alaris Antennas has grown to become a substantial supplier of advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) antennas. For the global defence and security markets, Alaris Antennas’ mission is to deliver high quality antenna solutions, on time, through technical and service excellence. This position requires full‑time presence at our Centurion, South Africa office. We’re seeking a Technical Lead to own the delivery of product development projects from conception through qualification.

This role combines hands‑on technical expertise with project leadership, requiring someone with 5+ years of experience who can manage multi‑disciplinary teams, navigate complex systems engineering challenges, and serve as the primary technical authority on assigned projects. If you have a background in RF, electronics, or mechanical engineering, experience with defence/aerospace standards, and proven leadership in a fast‑paced environment, we’d like to meet you.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronic, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering (or related discipline)

• 5+ years in Product Development engineering, with at least 2 years in technical or project leadership roles

• Proven experience in multi‑disciplinary product development (RF, antenna systems, defence/aerospace preferable)
• Strong understanding of systems engineering, requirements management, and verification & validation
• Experience leading design reviews, managing risks, and communicating with stakeholders
• Familiarity with defence, aerospace, or telecom standards (e.g., MIL-STD-810, STANAG, EMC, safety)

• MS Excel (Proficient)
• MS Word (Proficient)
• MS PowerPoint (Proficient)

• Microsoft Business Central

• English

• Demonstrates leadership by guiding cross‑disciplinary teams with clarity and accountability
• Maintains strong technical depth in systems engineering and at least one core discipline (RF, Electronics, Mechanical, or Firmware)
• Executes projects with discipline, meeting schedule, cost, and scope commitments
• Communicates effectively with engineers, project office, executives, and external partners
• Solves problems analytically and proactively, balancing short‑term project delivery with long‑term sustainability
• Adapts to shifting priorities in a fast‑paced environment while maintaining professional integrity

• Own delivery of assigned projects (major or medium) from requirements definition through to qualification and handover
• Manage project scope, schedule, and budget in alignment with the Project Management Office (PMO)
• Identify, mitigate, and communicate risks to stakeholders in a timely manner
• Coordinate multi‑disciplinary project teams by allocating tasks, monitoring progress, and resolving blockers
• Provide clear reporting on project status, risks, and dependencies to PMO and Engineering Manager
• Lead in all technical customer engagements, supported by design team and Chief engineers where applicable. Guide external design reviews and technical negotiations, ensuring compliance to specifications and contractual agreements

• Act as the primary technical authority for assigned projects
• Ensure full requirements traceability from stakeholder needs through system verification
• Lead trade‑off studies, design reviews, and architecture decisions to support sound technical outcomes
• Validate that solutions meet customer requirements, applicable standards, and qualification criteria
• Support integration, test campaigns, and customer demonstrations to confirm performance
• Drive the development of technical documentation, ensuring accuracy, compliance and completeness

• Prepare inputs for Technical Opportunity Review Meetings to support the Design Authority’s decision making
• Provide guidance on team capacity and availability to support proposed technical application and proposed timelines
• Support the Engineering Manager in allocating resources to support…