Head of Software Engineering; EW

Job Description

Salary Range: £77,760 - £117,058

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.

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Head of Software Engineering in the Electronic Warfare (EW) line of business, covering our Luton, Lincoln and Bristol.

Within the EW line of business, it is our mission to develop and deliver solutions that protect lives and enhances mission effectiveness. Delivering capability through technology, EW brings capability to the frontline. Our technology counters exploits in the Electromagnetic Spectrum to provide operators with situational awareness and the ability to protect the platforms and passengers from threats in the air domain.

You will lead the EW software community of around 180 engineers across the breadth of our three capability areas of Sensors, Data Fusion and Effectors to design, develop and deliver effective software solutions. Your responsibilities will span the Luton (Primary), Lincoln and Bristol locations, alongside contributing to the UK Software Engineering strategy.

• Timely delivery of capability and capacity for Software development, including recruitment and training, establishing an end‑to‑end talent pipeline across the full career map.
• Drive improvements into Software Project delivery considering improved estimation, project monitoring and timely interventions
• The Software Development Process, Toolchain, Resource and Technology strategy and its delivery to the business.
• Working closely with business sector stakeholders, Engineering Leadership and Product Architects in developing product and technology roadmaps.
• Providing strategic technical leadership and ensuring consistent technical excellence across the EW portfolio.
• Acting as the single point of process authority for the sector
• Identifying, championing and driving improvement activities into the software function at local and UK level
• Collaborating with other areas of Engineering to achieve a coherent and integrated Engineering process and toolchain.
• Knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing through participation in industry bodies, partnerships, conferences, benchmarking and recruitment.
• The identification and management of long‑term resource and technology partners.
• Process Governance, Legislative and Standards compliance.
• Cost Centre management, budget control and strategic planning.

• Strong leadership capabilities are essential to drive technical excellence and team performance.
• A strategic mindset, clear decision‑making, and the ability to inspire and guide software teams through complex engineering challenges.
• Strong software design background to work with our product architects to realise a coherent software design and technology strategy.
• Experience of one or more of the following would be ideal:
  Agile Transformation, Component Architectures, Model Driven Engineering, Digital Transformation, Embedded Software, Avionics Software.
• Experience of developing software following industry standards such as RTCA/DO-178C, IEC
  61508 or ISO
  26262 for example
• A proven track record in:
  • fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement, while effectively communicating vision, priorities, and feedback.
  • managing a broad range of technical and management stakeholder expectations and delivering high‑impact solutions is essential.
• This role demands resilience, integrity, and a passion for empowering others to succeed.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

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…