Principal Post-Design Support Engineer

Job Description:

Are you ready to lead the post-design support of a critical national capability? As the Principal Post-Design Support Engineer, you will be accountable for the effective sustainment, improvement and technical-support performance of a complex operational capability once solutions enter service.

You will provide leadership across a multidisciplinary PDS team and coordinate engineering, service, commercial, supply-chain and programme stakeholders. You will shape the forward PDS plan, priorities and performance framework, including technology refresh, obsolescence, resilience, capability and continuous-improvement requirements; set support priorities and controls within the applicable governance; and ensure that operational outcomes are delivered to time, cost, quality and contractual expectations.

The role is a principal interface between Leonardo, Border Force and relevant authorities. You will represent Leonardo in performance, risk, change and technical-support forums, ensuring that customer and end-user needs are understood, balanced and translated into deliverable priorities.

• Own the end-to-end delivery and performance of Post Design Services for the supported operational capability, ensuring outcomes are achieved to agreed time, cost, quality and contractual measures.
• Lead the transition of new or changed solutions into operational support and assure their continued supportability throughout the in-service lifecycle.
• Provide broad technical leadership across hardware, software, system integration, obsolescence and test, drawing on specialist expertise while maintaining an end-to-end view of service performance and supportability.
• Set and maintain the forward PDS plan, priorities and performance framework, including technology refresh, obsolescence, resilience, capability and continuous-improvement requirements, aligned with programme, customer and business objectives.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team and coordinate specialist input across engineering, service operations, commercial, supply chain, quality, security and programme functions.
• Act as the principal PDS interface with Border Force and relevant authorities, representing Leonardo in governance, service-performance, risk and change forums.
• Own the PDS governance framework, ensuring fit-for-purpose methods, processes, controls, tools, records and audit trails are established and followed.
• Direct the resolution of complex or systemic in-service issues, integrating technical evidence and specialist advice, setting priorities and escalating unacceptable operational, engineering or contractual risk.
• Own technology-refresh, obsolescence and continuous-improvement roadmaps, including investment priorities, innovation opportunities and implementation planning.
• Oversee engineering and service changes affecting the supported capability, ensuring impact assessments, approvals, configuration records, Engineering Change Requests and the Master Parts List are appropriately controlled.
• Manage supplier technical and service performance, chair technical reviews, lead recovery or improvement action, and advise on commercial or contractual intervention where required.
• Ensure business-continuity arrangements, critical technical information, media, knowledge capture and succession plans provide appropriate operational resilience.
• Lead the technical-support relationship with the Service Desk, including the effective management of service-credit exposure and the evidence needed to support contractual decisions.
• Oversee support and evolution of Traffic Management Systems, including requirements for new and existing sites and technical relationships with relevant suppliers.
• Provide line management, objectives, performance leadership, development and succession planning for direct reports, building capability and reducing single points of expertise.
• Lead an early and structured handover from the current role holder, capturing critical knowledge, relationships, decisions, technical context and recurring activities to maintain continuity and support effective succession.
• Set PDS priorities and direct recovery action in response to operational, technical, supplier or contractual performance issues, ensuring decisions and escalations follow the applicable programme, engineering and commercial governance.
• Ensure engineering and support changes, support risks and service-credit recommendations are assessed, evidenced,…