Principal Configuration Manager

Job Description:

Your Impact
Are you ready to lead and shape configuration management practices that underpin secure, high-integrity systems and services? At Leonardo UK, our Principal Configuration Managers provide expert guidance and leadership to ensure that engineering and business-critical assets are controlled, traceable, and aligned with project, operational, and compliance requirements. You’ll lead cross-functional collaboration, influence policy and process development, and drive continuous improvement across the configuration lifecycle.

Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in solving customer problems in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role may involve a blended hybrid working model, with a mixture of working from home and working on site at one of our Leonardo offices to ensure close collaboration with the wider team and with our customers.

Leonardo UK is seeking a Principal Configuration Manager to join the Cyber & Security Solutions Division team. This role is focused on delivering, maintaining, and improving platform and systems engineering solutions that underpin critical defence, government and public sector services.

What you will do as a Principal Configuration Manager

• Lead the definition, implementation, and governance of configuration management strategies across programmes and platforms.

• Own and maintain configuration baselines, ensuring traceability and compliance with internal standards and external regulations.

• Provide expert advice on configuration identification, change control, status accounting, and verification activities.

• Drive continuous improvement in configuration processes, tools, and reporting to support business effectiveness and audit readiness.

• Collaborate with engineering, delivery, and service teams to ensure configuration data supports operational and project needs.

• Represent configuration management in Integrated Project Teams (IPTs), influencing design, delivery, and support decisions.

• Lead or contribute to cross-functional initiatives, including business planning, risk management, and capability development.

• Mentor and develop junior configuration professionals, fostering a culture of quality, governance, and innovation.

• Proven experience leading configuration management in complex engineering or service delivery environments, ideally within defence, government, or regulated sectors.

• Deep understanding of configuration management principles, lifecycle integration, and change governance.

• Proficiency in configuration and collaboration tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence, SharePoint, PLM systems).

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret technical data and ensure consistency across systems and documentation.

• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.

• A strategic mindset with the ability to challenge, innovate, and contribute to business planning and policy development.

• Professional credibility and visibility within your domain, with a track record of delivering results and driving improvement.

• Strategic Configuration Leadership: Experience defining and leading configuration strategies across programmes or business units.

• Lifecycle Integration: Expertise in applying configuration management across the full system lifecycle, from design to decommissioning.

• Governance & Compliance: Strong knowledge of standards such as ISO 10007, ITIL, and MOD DEF STANs, with experience supporting audits and regulatory compliance.

• Tooling & Automation: Skilled in using and improving configuration tools and processes to enhance traceability and efficiency.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to influence and align engineering, service, and business teams to ensure configuration integrity.

• Mentoring & Capability Development: Experience developing others and contributing to the maturity of the configuration function.

• Business Acumen: Understanding of how configuration supports broader business objectives, risk management, and operational effectiveness.

• Experience supporting configuration in hybrid environments (e.g. on-premise, cloud, SaaS).

• Experie…