Project Chief Engineer

Are you passionate about turning complex customer needs into cutting-edge Electronic Warfare solutions? We're looking for a Systems Design Authority (SDA) (Delivery) to lead the technical delivery of EW Payload capabilities, shaping solutions that make a real impact for our customers and operational users.

In this influential role within Leonardo's Electronic Warfare (EW) Sector, you'll work closely with customers, engineering teams, and senior stakeholders to define, deliver, and assure technical solutions from concept through to implementation.

This is an opportunity to shape both the delivery of today's EW Payload solutions and the development of tomorrow's capabilities, combining technical leadership, customer engagement, and strategic influence in a highly visible role.

This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, with a combination of on-site presence at our Luton office and UK and international travel.

• →Own the technical solution for EW Payload programmes, ensuring customer requirements are translated into effective, compliant, and deliverable solutions.
• →Work with customers to develop Concepts of Operation (CONOPS) and Concepts of Use (CONUSE), translating operational needs into clear system requirements in partnership with engineering teams.
• →Provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams, guiding key decisions and trade-offs across performance, cost, schedule, quality, and risk to establish a compliant technical solution.
• →Lead the identification, assessment, and management of technical risks and opportunities, ensuring informed and balanced decision-making.
• →Partner with the EW Payloads Development SDA and key stakeholders to shape future product strategy and capability roadmaps.
• →Review bids and proposals, providing independent technical assessment to ensure solutions align with strategic objectives, product strategy, and customer needs.
• →Coach and mentor engineers, fostering a collaborative culture that delivers high-quality, cost-effective solutions.

• Significant technical leadership experience, underpinned by a strong systems engineering background and a proven track record in the design, development, qualification, certification, and delivery of complex solutions within defence, aerospace, or other highly regulated industries.
• The ability to engage confidently with customers and senior stakeholders, providing clear technical direction and leading multidisciplinary teams to successful outcomes.
• Broad experience across the engineering lifecycle, including Requirements Management, Verification, Qualification, Acceptance, Design Certification, and Customer Acceptance.
• Proven capability in Design Standards, Configuration Management, and the delivery of innovative system-level solutions.
• Experience developing compliant technical solutions that achieve customer requirements within cost and schedule constraints.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• A self-motivated and collaborative approach, with the ability to work with minimal direction and communicate effectively with subject matter experts and end users across diverse technical and cultural environments.

• Knowledge of Electronic Warfare equipment and its application within operational customer environments.
• A degree in a relevant engineering or scientific discipline, with Chartered Engineer status (or working towards it) and membership of a relevant professional institution such as the IET.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make sound technical decisions in complex environments.

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 National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting