Aerospace Head of Function; Systems, Safety and Embedded Software

• Essential

The Aerospace Head of Function (Systems / Software) is a senior technical manager for the discipline within Expleo’s aerospace engineering environment.

The role is accountable for technical governance, delivery assurance, and capability development, acting as the primary technical escalation point on behalf of the sector Chief Engineer.

Operating in a high-assurance, safety-critical context, the role ensures systems or software delivery and safety is technically robust, compliant, and supported by appropriate capability, standards, and lifecycle practice.

• Systems:
  Minimum INCOSE Lead Practitioner, with Expert capability preferred in technical authority areas.
• Software:
  Aligned to SFIA Level 6 (Initiate / Influence), reflecting function-level authority across software engineering capability, governance, and delivery.
• Safety. Experience of CAA, MAA procedures for civil and fast jets in leadership role.

• Provide technical authority across projects and bids, approving key technical outputs, plans, and estimates.
• Act as escalation point for technical risk, quality, and engineering integrity issues.
• Assure compliance with relevant standards, legislation, and engineering governance.
• Conduct and oversee technical reviews and audits in line with project quality plans.
• Intervene where technical risk exists, including stopping work on technical grounds.
• Ensure projects are resourced with appropriately SQEP engineers.
• Lead and develop Engineering Team Leads (ETLs) and Team Leads (TLs), ensuring strong technical input to appraisals and development planning.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering practice and capability maturity.

• Essential
  • Degree in a relevant engineering or computing discipline.
  • Strong lifecycle knowledge (requirements, architecture, integration, V&V, quality)
• Preferred
  • Chartered Engineer (or equivalent)
  • INCOSE CSEP (Systems); ESEP-aligned capability preferred.
  • Lead H&S Auditor.

• Systems (INCOSE-aligned)
  • Requirements definition and management
  • System architecture and trade studies
  • Integration, interfaces, V&V
  • Technical leadership and mentoring

Software (SFIA-aligned – Level
6)

• Demonstrable authority across core SFIA software skills, including:
  • Architecture (ARCH)
  • Requirements (REQM)
  • Design (DESN)
  • Integration & build (SINT)
  • Testing & quality (TEST / NFTS)
  • Configuration & change (CFMG)
  • Lifecycle engineering (SLEN)
• At SFIA Level 6, the role sets technical direction, influences across programmes, and assures delivery through governance rather than direct execution.

• FTA, HAZID, HAZOP and SFMEA development
• Technical leadership and mentoring

• Strong technical authority in systems or software engineering within complex, safety-critical environments
• Ability to provide independent technical challenge, governance, and decision-making across multiple programmes
• Deep understanding of engineering life cycles (requirements, architecture, design, integration, verification & validation, in-service support)
• Proven capability in technical review, assurance, and audit of engineering outputs and plans
• Strong risk, quality, and compliance mindset in regulated environments
• Ability to set technical direction and influence delivery without direct control (matrix environment)
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication, including senior client and internal leadership interaction
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills, with ability to develop senior technical leaders

• Significant experience in a senior technical leadership or technical authority role (e.g. Head of Function, Chief/Lead Architect, Technical Authority)
• Experience working in complex, safety-critical, and regulated environments (e.g. marine, defence, aerospace, nuclear, rail)
• Demonstrated track record of approving engineering solutions and assuring delivery across multiple projects or programmes
• Experience acting as a technical escalation point for delivery, quality, and risk issues
• Proven experience in technical governance, including design reviews, audits, and compliance assessments
• Experience leading or influencing multi-disciplinary engineering teams in a matrix organisation
• Demonstrated…