At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead systems engineering for high-speed aerospace projects, defining architecture and requirements.
- Company: Join a mission-driven team tackling Europe's key defence challenges.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, share options, and a culture of autonomy and accountability.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for rapid growth and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on national security while collaborating with top experts.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in aerospace systems engineering and eligible for UK Security Clearance.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 € per year.
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What you'll do:
- Establish and own the systems engineering capability for Hypersonica in the UK, defining approaches, interfaces, and ways of working from the ground up.
- Own the end to end system architecture for a high speed aerospace system, translating mission intent into structured system requirements, logical architectures, and clear interface definitions.
- Build and maintain the authoritative system model using model based systems engineering, ensuring traceability from mission objectives down to subsystem implementation.
- Define and drive the verification and validation strategy, aligning requirements, simulation, ground test, and flight test into a coherent delivery plan.
- Act as the technical integrator across guidance, avionics, propulsion, structures, software, and test, resolving interface ambiguity and maintaining architectural coherence.
- Deliver PDR level system artefacts, including validated requirements baselines, interface control definitions, and a credible V&V framework.
Who you are:
- A senior systems engineer with 8+ years' experience delivering complex aerospace or defence systems end to end.
- Eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC or DV), with a UK passport and prior exposure to cleared environments strongly preferred.
- Comfortable operating at the intersection of systems engineering and programme delivery, not treating them as separate disciplines.
- Someone who can balance commercial awareness with technical depth, understanding cost, schedule, and risk as system constraints.
- Motivated by building and leading capability in a growing UK operation, not inheriting a finished organisation.
- Strong in model based systems engineering, comfortable owning and structuring the system model as a single source of truth.
- Experienced defining verification and validation approaches for flight hardware in defence or high consequence aerospace environments.
- Broad across disciplines and confident arbitrating system level trade offs under cost, schedule, and risk constraints.
- Structured, rigorous, and delivery focused, able to create clarity in technically ambiguous environments.
- Comfortable operating in small, high autonomy teams where architectural decisions directly shape flight outcomes.
What we offer:
- A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe's most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
- Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
- High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
- A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
- A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
- Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.
Senior Systems Engineer employer: Hypersonica
Hypersonica offers an exceptional work environment for Senior Systems Engineers, where you can establish and lead the systems engineering capability in a mission-driven setting focused on high-speed aerospace challenges. With a culture that prioritises clarity, integrity, and excellence, employees enjoy high ownership, autonomy, and the opportunity to collaborate with top experts while contributing to meaningful projects that directly impact national security. The company also provides competitive compensation and share options, fostering a rewarding atmosphere for professional growth and innovation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Systems Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the aerospace and defence sectors, especially those who work at Hypersonica or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into model-based systems engineering. Brush up on your knowledge of system architecture and verification strategies, as these will likely come up. We want you to shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your experience with real-world examples. When discussing your past projects, highlight how you tackled complex challenges and delivered results. This is your chance to demonstrate your technical depth and commercial awareness.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Systems Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Senior Systems Engineer. Highlight your experience in aerospace or defence systems, and don’t forget to mention any relevant projects that showcase your skills in model-based systems engineering.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about this role and how your background aligns with our mission at Hypersonica. Be sure to touch on your experience with verification and validation strategies.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:We want to see your technical prowess! Include specific examples of how you've managed system architectures and resolved interface ambiguities in past roles. This will help us understand your approach to complex challenges.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Hypersonica
✨Know Your Systems Engineering Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your systems engineering principles, especially model-based systems engineering. Be ready to discuss how you've previously established system architectures and managed complex requirements. This role is all about translating mission intent into structured requirements, so have examples ready that showcase your experience in this area.
✨Demonstrate Your Technical Integration Skills
Prepare to talk about your experience acting as a technical integrator across various disciplines like avionics, propulsion, and software. Think of specific instances where you resolved interface ambiguities or maintained architectural coherence. This will show that you can handle the complexities of the role and work effectively in high-autonomy teams.
✨Showcase Your Verification and Validation Strategies
Be ready to explain your approach to defining verification and validation strategies for aerospace systems. Discuss how you've aligned requirements with testing phases, and provide examples of how you've created coherent delivery plans. This will highlight your ability to manage risk and ensure successful outcomes.
✨Emphasise Your Commercial Awareness
This role requires balancing technical depth with commercial awareness. Prepare to discuss how you've navigated cost, schedule, and risk constraints in past projects. Showing that you understand the business side of systems engineering will set you apart and demonstrate that you're not just technically proficient but also strategically minded.
