Principal Systems Engineer / Team Lead

We are building the next UK-headquartered engineering powerhouse. At Rowden, we design and integrate advanced systems that sense, connect, and protect data in challenging environments where quick decisions are vital. Our solutions use intelligent automation to enhance speed and efficiency and are built to be reliable and straightforward for critical operations in remote or high-pressure settings.

Headquartered in Bristol (UK), we combine modern engineering methods with cutting-edge commercial technology to create adaptable, mission-critical systems. We focus on solving the tough challenges that others overlook, ensuring our customers can operate effectively in an ever-changing world.

We are seeking a Principal Systems Engineer / Team Lead to lead our talented team of Systems Engineers and drive complex projects, products, and solutions. You will be both a technical expert and strong people leader, developing our systems engineering capability to support Rowden's continued growth. You will excel when working at pace in an environment with a high degree of change and uncertainty.

In this role, you will work across the business on pioneering technologies, including soldier systems, C4I integration programmes, AI/ML capabilities, and new product activities. You will collaborate closely with RF, Hardware, Software, Networking, Infrastructure & Applications, Safety, and Security to deliver agile solutions. You will leverage best-in-class tooling and automation to accelerate delivery while ensuring rigorous assurance. Expertise in waterfall, agile, iterative, spiral and agile models is essential, along with the ability to navigate diverse and complex stakeholder needs.

This role requires a minimum of 3 days per week on-site at our Bristol HQ due to the level of visible leadership and mentorship required. There will also be occasional travel to customer sites. Candidates must be willing to obtain a UKNSV security clearance, with SC clearance being essential.

Key areas of responsibility

• Systems Engineering leadership support and hands-on delivery across our growing and busy operating units, working across edge, cloud and emerging products.
• Accountability for systems engineering quality and performance.
• Pragmatic and proportionate capability development (people, processes and technology adoption) to meet the needs and ambitions of the business.
• Support to Rowden's goal of being externally recognised experts in the agile delivery and assurance of complex, software-centric systems.
• Efficient resource and capacity management within the team with an ability to acutely assess overall resource and skill priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Effective line and team management of Rowden's Systems Engineers, embodying inclusive and supportive leadership.
• Development of a strong culture within the team aligned to Rowden's vision and values.
• Effective communication and engagement with wider stakeholders across the business, as well as externally when required.

Key skills, experience and behaviours

We are looking for someone passionate about technology who actively invests in their technical skills and abilities. We are looking for a person with:

• In-depth knowledge and experience in the practical application of model-based and agile systems engineering tools and techniques.
• Experience across the full systems engineering lifecycle using a range of development approaches.
• A degree or equivalent experience in a relevant engineering or technical subject.
• Demonstrable track record of effectively managing, mentoring and coaching team members.
• Extensive experience in engineering leadership and working within delivery teams to ensure successful outcomes in challenging and complex projects.
• Proven analytical thinker, problem solver and decision maker and has strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of supporting all levels of the organisation.

Highly Desirable Experience:

• A background in regulated sectors delivering complex connected systems, such as defence, national security, telecommunications, financial services, or automotive industries.
• Designing, deploying and supporting solutions to/at the far-edge in denied, disrupted, intermittent or lossy communication environments.
• Chartered Engineer status.

About you

• Pragmatism: You will adopt a decisive, precise and pragmatic approach to both delivery and the development of systems capability, effectively considering the holistic risk/reward balance.
• Attention to detail: You will have a quality mind-set and be in the detail, providing objective assurance of systems activities building high levels of trust and autonomy within the team.
• Operational expertise: You will have the experience in delivery, such as making the mistakes, going too-light or too-heavy on process and tools, understanding the real-world complexity and consequences of difficult trade-offs etc., to lead, direct, inform, mentor and coach members of the systems team.
• Communication Skills: You can explain complex engineering information clearly and persuasively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, in a fast-paced environment.
• Dynamic and Adaptable: You will understand what it takes to work in an SME environment, where an organisation must rapidly evolve to meet customer needs.
• Eagerness to Learn: You enjoy learning new things, adapt quickly to changing circumstances, and are motivated to continuously improve. You will embed this into the team and drive towards Rowden being at the forefront of agile, software-centric systems engineering.
• Strong Leadership: You inspire and guide your team effectively, fostering collaboration and accountability.

Working at Rowden

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are! We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average of 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.

Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.

Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!