Chief Systems Engineer

Overview

As Chief Systems Engineer, you will lead and shape a high-performing systems engineering function within a diverse airborne RF sensing portfolio. You’ll govern systems engineering practices, guide cross-program architecture, and drive integration across engineering and capability teams. You’ll coach engineers, manage stakeholder expectations, and set a clear technical vision to improve quality and efficiency. This role offers dynamic, high-impact work with a focus on systems thinking, governance, and modern engineering methods.

Pay / Benefits

• generous leave with up to 12 flexi-days per year
• pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution
• mental health support and wellbeing services
• bonus scheme for management level and below
• free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning
• flexible benefits allowance up to 500 annually for private healthcare, discounts, and other perks

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for Systems Engineering with senior stakeholders
• Coach the art of systems engineering and guide problem definition across programs
• Ensure stakeholder needs are captured across lifecycle and bridging engineering with capability
• Promote appropriate concepting, modelling and simulation to mitigate emergent properties
• Champion Design for Excellence (DfX) in Systems Engineering
• Provide expertise on System Architecting, System Synthesis and System of Systems Engineering
• Lead governance activities across lifecycle management, bids, design reviews and audits
• Introduce innovative, modern approaches across the full lifecycle and promote agile practices
• Conduct quarterly threat and mitigation reviews for the sector
• Represent Leonardo in System Engineering bodies (e.g., INCOSE)
• Identify sector trends and share lessons learned to improve future work
• Define metrics to capture improvements and opportunities
• Own and drive a 6-month improvement plan aligned with LoB needs
• Collaborate with Systems People & Capability Lead to optimise sector skills and capabilities
• Foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and digital-enabled systems thinking
• Champion Human Factors Integration approaches
• Act as a change agent to promote continual learning and improvement across peers
• Develop a personal Systems Engineering specialty recognized across EW LoB / Electronics division
• Identify and coach potential successors for future leadership roles

Key requirements

• Governance and guidance on LCM processes in Systems Engineering
• Ability to elicit stakeholder expectations
• Experience in creating and defining architectures
• Strong collaboration with external stakeholders
• Proven senior leadership and decision-making in high-complexity environments
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build trust across levels
• Experience of integration with cost and schedule implications and mitigations
• Tenacity and focus on delivering outputs

• leadership
• stakeholder management
• communication
• Systems Engineering governance and Lifecycle Management (LCM)
• System Architecting and System Synthesis
• System of Systems Engineering

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