Defence Analytics Engineer

Salary Range: £40,000 – £71,400 basic with a 12.5% uplift. Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market.

Your impact: Our Central London team is looking for talented and enthusiastic modelling and simulation practitioners to create and integrate weapon system models for our UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) customer. The role will suit either recent STEM graduates, postgraduates, or those with relevant industry experience of engineering models who wish to apply their abilities in an aerospace modelling and simulation environment. You will help ensure that MOD’s weapon assessments are robust and delivered in a timely manner to UK Defence partners and front-line forces. This is intended as a full-time position, but we would consider part-time working of 4 days per week. This is primarily an on-site role with some possibility for hybrid working.

Customer Integration: You will be a member of a weapons project team within our larger Defence Analytics Group working in Central London. The group is integrated into a joint unit with government employees, members of the armed forces, and other contractors.

The Challenge: To create dynamic computer models for internal and external simulation environments to assess the performance and capability of weapon systems. Complex systems are modelled primarily in MATLAB/Simulink, exercised to answer customer questions, and exported for integration into customers’ modelling environments.

Collaboration: You will be working in close liaison with teams within the UK and partner nations, with the opportunity to contribute, influence, challenge and improve joint ways of working and knowledge.

Breadth: You will be working in an environment where both the complexity and capabilities of the systems are continually evolving throughout the world.

What you’ll do as a Defence Analytics Engineer:

• Produce computer models of weapons systems, exercise them in-house, and aid the integration of these models in customers’ simulation environments.
• Produce reports and presentations of your work and present them to local MOD customers and the wider community both within the UK and partner nations.
• Provide ad hoc advice and support to MOD customers, often at short notice.
• Use your developing experience and knowledge to propose and implement improvements to tools and processes.
• In conjunction with the project team conduct regular liaison with both MOD and the wider customer base to keep them informed of recent developments and to determine future analysis requirements.
• Seek co-operative and collaborative approaches with our UK and multi-national partners, identifying best practice.
• Travel for technical exchanges with our partners, in the UK and abroad.

What you’ll bring:

• A good understanding of scientific methods and their use through the application of fundamental physical principles.
• A degree in a STEM subject and strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to apply these to real world problems through modelling and simulation.
• Knowledge of aerospace technologies such as aerodynamics, propulsion, sensors, guidance and control would be an advantage.
• Experience in some of the following programming languages: MATLAB/Simulink, C/C++, C# and/or Python.
• Good interpersonal skills which allow you to work collaboratively and effectively within an inter-disciplinary team.
• Ability to problem solve and self‑steer work to deadlines as necessary, sometimes at short notice.
• Ability to communicate, both in writing and verbally, with audiences of differing technical backgrounds and seniority.
• Experience of defence modelling and simulation environments, customers and requirements would be an advantage.

Security Clearance: 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) will apply, this will include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV).

Why join us:

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi‑days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

Primary Location: GB - London - Whitehall

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working Onsite