Project Engineering Manager

Job Overview

Step into one of the most ambitious defence programmes of a generation! As a Project Engineering Manager within the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of international aerospace collaboration. Working at the centre of a complex tri‑national delivery enterprise, you’ll help unite teams, technologies and partner organisations behind a shared mission: delivering the next generation of combat air capability.

This is more than programme delivery — it’s an opportunity to influence how four leading international companies collaborate, innovate and engineer at scale.

You will lead the technical delivery and development of the Integrated Sensing and Non Kinetic Effects and Integrated Communications System (ISANKE &ICS) domain consortium, driving engineering excellence across geographically dispersed teams in the UK and internationally. You’ll help establish the engineering strategies, governance frameworks and delivery processes that enable seamless collaboration between Leonardo UK, Leonardo Italy, Elettronica and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Melco).

You’ll also act as the technical focal point for national and international partnerships, ensuring engineering considerations are embedded into commercial agreements, bids and proposals, while creating an environment where collaboration and innovation thrive.

• Confident and influential engineering leader with significant engineering management experience, ideally within large‑scale aerospace or electromechanical systems programmes involving embedded software.
• Strong understanding of engineering lifecycle delivery from development through to manufacture and support.
• Ability to communicate with all levels of hierarchy and across cultures, influence and inspire trust in others.
• Proactive problem solver with a collaborative mindset who can work effectively even in the presence of uncertainty.
• Breadth of engineering experience and a good understanding of engineering functions, projects and processes.
• Experience of all lifecycle phases: development, manufacture and support.
• Ability to thrive in complex international environments and enjoy shaping strategy as much as delivery.

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, including the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).