Lead Systems Engineer (DA) in Southampton

Leonardo has an exciting opportunity for a Lead Systems Engineer/Design Authority (DA) to join its NATO JEWCS Integrated Project Team (IPT), within the CEMA and IC Sector based across the south of the UK. We are producing the next generation Electronic Warfare (EW) Training System assets covering Land, Sea and Air together with an IT infrastructure to enable effective planning, programming and review for NATO exercises.

Your impact

As Lead Systems Engineer and Design Authority, you will be responsible for providing the technical oversight and expertise at all levels of the overall system solution, working with both internal and supplier design teams to ensure that the architecture of the overall system solution is developed and delivered to meet the Customer and business requirements. Working across the whole of the systems engineering lifecycle, as part of a multi-disciplined team, the successful candidate will seek advice from SMEs to review and advise on the creation and verification of subsystem technical solutions and directly support the Project Chief Engineer in ensuring the system and sub system designs are:

• fit for purpose and due consideration has been made for the integrity of the design compliant with customer requirements and required standard
• the safety of the overall proposed architecture is maintained and assessed

As a result, strong technical, delivery, and people leadership skills and abilities are essential in this role, particularly the ability to discuss and resolve complex technical problems in the EW domain. This role will see the successful candidate join the quickly expanding engineering team within the CEMA and IC sector and take on a key role in shaping the future of the NATO JEWCS deployed solution combining use of COTS with the latest technologies and ensuring that they meet the needs of the customer.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Project Chief Engineer to identify and resolve technical issues across the whole system and subsystems and to ensure the integrity of the solution.
• Deputise for the Project Chief Engineer within the project.
• Lead the architecture team to develop and document the architecture through the project lifecycle.
• Influence all levels of requirements to enable design and development decisions and trade-offs to be made.
• Provide direction, control, evaluation and recommendations relating to technical risks and opportunities.
• Support test planning and requirements verification to achieve certification and delivery for the overall system.
• Working with and influencing key project stakeholders including customer and end users.
• Present Architecture material at Design reviews internally and externally for the overall system.
• Act as a technical interface between the end customer and the Leonardo Engineering team.
• Actively support knowledge sharing and exploitation of best practice.
• Support the guidance and development of junior Systems Engineers within the Engineering team.
• Contribute to the successful achievement of engineering milestones as an integrated part of the Prime team.
• Support and advise sub‑system design teams through their design reviews.
• Travel within the UK and abroad to meet with our customers and industry partners.

What you’ll bring

• A degree (or equivalent experience) in a STEM subject and strong numerical, analytical and design skills, with the ability to apply these to real world problems.
• Strong understanding of system and project lifecycles as applicable to delivery of sub-systems, technical and commercial baselines, and change control.
• Strong understanding of Systems Architecture activities as part of the Systems Lifecycle.
• Self‑motivated with a strong aptitude for problem‑solving and decision‑making within projects involving design complexity and uncertainty.
• Strong experience of influencing system design and integration of a major system.
• Strong experience in stakeholder management within organisations and with customers (internal or external) in a high‑pressure environment, pulling in technical expertise when and where appropriate.
• Experience of successfully passing Design Reviews and implementing potentially complex remedial actions with sub‑contract equipment suppliers and Prime integration teams.

Ideally

• Knowledge of military EW/radar passive and active RF.
• Strong understanding of systems integration and progressive assurance.
• Experience of making design decisions by trading‑off alternate solutions based on functionality, performance and cost.
• Chartered engineer / member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

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) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV).

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company‑funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• 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.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website. Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. Be part of something bigger - apply now!