BDUK Design Lead

Overview

In this role you lead BDUK’s Design and Support Engineering, guiding a multi‑discipline team across the product lifecycle. You own design decisions and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to deliver robust design solutions. You drive engineering excellence, verification strategies, and supplier delivery to meet programme goals. You will represent design status to leadership and customers and help shape future capability in a high‑impact defence context.

Pay / Benefits

• flexible working
• study assistance
• pension plan with employer contribution
• medical plan
• life insurance
• wellbeing programs

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a multi‑discipline Design team: set objectives, mentor engineers, allocate work
• Act as primary design stakeholder manager: manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Own design decisions and trade‑offs: provide decisive direction and document rationale
• Drive engineering excellence: establish design standards, best practices, verification/validation strategies
• Manage supplier development and delivery: lead supplier selection, design optimisation, test planning and ramp‑up
• Represent Design in programme governance: present status, risk, and resource needs to leadership and customers
• Lead proposal and bid support: define scope, author SOWs and BOEs for new business while protecting current portfolio
• Promote inclusive collaboration and respectful working: foster open communication across teams and suppliers

Key requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or equivalent
• Experience in tooling design and manufacturing; knowledge of materials and processes
• Supplier management experience including SOW/BOE preparation and oversight
• Demonstrated leadership: leading engineering teams, mentoring, stakeholder management
• Eligibility for UK Security Clearance

• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Influencing senior stakeholders and customers
• Collaborative and respectful leadership
• CAD/PLM tools: Catia, NX, Enovia, TeamCenter
• Experience with MRO operations and regulatory processes
• Familiarity with ISO, SAE/AS, EASA/ICAO standards

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