Project Engineering Lead

Overview

In this role, you lead a multidisciplinary engineering team on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) from our Luton site, partnering with the Project Engineering Manager and Chief Engineer. You define realistic plans, manage lifecycle processes, and ensure design maturity and compliance to customer, safety, and regulatory standards. You influence supplier decisions, manage change, and drive an integrated, modular solution within an agile environment. This is a high-impact engineering leadership role at a heritage-led, innovation-focused aerospace company.

Pay / Benefits

• generous leave with up to 12 flexi-days
• pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution
• mental health support and wellbeing resources
• bonus scheme for employees
• access to 4,000+ online courses (Coursera, LinkedIn Learning)
• referral programme and flexible benefits package

Responsibilities

• Produce realistic delivery plans with risk/opportunity management and stakeholder buy-in
• Lead a multi-disciplinary Integrated Project Team (IPT) to deliver on time, on budget, and to quality standards
• Ensure lifecycle processes including design gates and qualification criteria are followed
• Provide engineering leadership across the project lifecycle and maintain communication with IPT leadership
• Deliver best-value solutions aligned with customer requirements, contractual, safety and legislative standards
• Promote streamlined, reusable modular approaches across the engineering lifecycle
• Support supplier management and Make-or-Buy decisions
• Manage project configuration and change control
• Work with the Project Chief Engineer to resolve technical or programme conflicts and document design rationale
• Communicate issues to senior management and engage with stakeholders
• Support agile ways of working and deliver against performance targets

Key requirements

• Degree qualified or equivalent
• Good problem-solving ability
• Strong schedule and budget control
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Commercially aware
• Ability to communicate with stakeholders across multiple sites
• Strong leadership and teamwork skills
• Knowledge of Engineering lifecycle and business processes
• Willingness to travel within the UK and possibly overseas

• leadership
• teamwork
• communication
• systems engineering
• lifecycle management
• risk and change management

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