Principal Post-Design Support Engineer

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, approved or escalated through the appropriate governance route.
• →Drive continual improvement through analysis of service performance, equipment failure trends, customer feedback, risk and lessons learned.

• Substantial experience leading post-design support, sustainment, service engineering or complex in-service product support.
• Proven accountability for delivery across time, cost, quality, risk and contractual performance in a regulated or high-integrity environment.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and achieving outcomes through technical specialists, suppliers and functional stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of the engineering and service lifecycle, including configuration control, change management, obsolescence, technology refresh, business continuity and operational support.
• Broad practical understanding across hardware, software, system integration, obsolescence management and test, with the ability to challenge evidence, integrate specialist advice and make balanced support decisions.
• Commercial awareness, with experience of supplier performance, forecasting, service measures, contractual obligations and evidence-based decision-making.
• Strong customer leadership and influencing skills, including the ability to represent the organisation in senior governance and performance forums.
• Sound judgement when integrating technical evidence, balancing operational priorities and escalating risk.
• Demonstrable line-management experience, including objective setting, performance management, capability development and succession planning.
• The ability to communicate across technical and non-technical audiences and create clarity in complex or ambiguous situations.
• A full UK or EU driving licence, due to the requirement for travel to customer, supplier and operational locations.
• A degree or equivalent experience in an engineering, technology, service-management or related discipline.

• Accountability and Delivery: Demonstrable ownership of complex in-service support outcomes, with the authority and judgement to set priorities and ensure delivery against business and customer commitments.
• Leadership Through Others: Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, align specialist contributors and create clear accountability across organisational boundaries.
• Forward Planning: Ability to develop technology-refresh, obsolescence, resilience, capability and continuous-improvement plans and translate them into funded, deliverable priorities.
• Governance and Assurance: Strong understanding of engineering governance, configuration control, safety, security, quality, auditability and change control in operational environments.
• Customer and Stakeholder Influence: Credibility to act as the principal PDS interface, manage expectations and influence senior customer, authority, supplier and programme stakeholders.
• Commercial and Supplier Management: Ability to manage supplier performance and contractual outcomes, understand cost and service-credit implications, and recommend corrective or commercial action.
• People and Capability: Experience developing people, building resilient teams and reducing dependency on individual specialists.
• Judgement and Decision-Making: Ability to make evidence-based decisions within established governance, recognise the limits of own authority and escalate significant technical, operational, commercial or contractual matters with clear recommendations.

• Experience supporting complex defence, government, border-security or other regulated operational systems.
• Knowledge of relevant quality, safety, security, service-management or engineering standards.
• Professional registration or membership of a relevant engineering or service-management body.
• Experience of Traffic Management Systems, distributed field equipment or integrated electrical, mechanical and IT solutions.
• Experience contributing to functional strategy, policy, assurance or business-wide improvement initiatives.

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 attributes are sound judgement, constructive leadership and a willingness to learn.

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). The successful candidate will also be required to meet the eligibility requirements for Home Office Security Clearance (SC). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting 

This role is based at Rollestone, Wiltshire. It requires regular on-site presence to support operational delivery and knowledge transfer, together with occasional travel to customer, supplier and other operational locations. Hybrid working may be available where compatible with the needs of the role.