Principal Systems Engineer

Programme Name: Office of Technology

Location: This role can be based from any of our UK offices (Farnborough, Whiteley, Glasgow, Bristol) on a hybrid basis with travel to other offices as required

Salary: £75,800 - £99,800

The Role: The Principal System Engineer will provide technical leadership and assurance across systems, digital, and product engineering practices for UK programmes. This role will coach, mentor, and guide teams to adopt and tailor best-in-class engineering approaches, ensuring delivery excellence from design through product and sustainment.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Practice Leadership
  • Oversee systems engineering practices, setting standards, frameworks, and processes for programme delivery.
  • Champion the unification of Systems Engineering methodologies across UK programmes, including the adoption of model-based systems engineering (MBSE), digital engineering tools, and product engineering methodologies where appropriate.
• Programme Coaching & Assurance
  • Coach teams on tailoring and implement systems engineering practices appropriate to their complexity and lifecycle stage.
  • Provide technical assurance and governance, ensuring alignment with best practice and contractual requirements.
• Product Engineering Oversight
  • Lead the integration of product engineering into the programme lifecycle, ensuring robust planning, implementation, fabrication, integration, test, and transition to operations.
  • Oversee product readiness, deployment, and cutover activities, working closely with SMEs and Test to validate products, environments and releases.
  • Ensure product engineering processes are mapped to the UK Engineering Lifecycle and delivery methodologies.
• Technical Leadership
  • Lead technical reviews, trade studies, and solution development across the engineering lifecycle.
  • Guide requirements engineering, design, integration, verification, validation, and product handover activities.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including customers, partners, and suppliers to ensure effective collaboration, clear communication, and alignment of technical objectives across all parties involved in programme delivery.
  • Act as the technical point of contact for System Engineering matters.
• Continuous Improvement
  • Drive continuous improvement in engineering processes, tools, and skills.
  • Identify and implement opportunities for efficiency, quality, and risk reduction.
• Capability Development
  • Mentor and develop engineering talent, fostering a culture of learning and innovation.
  • Support training and development initiatives for systems, digital, and product engineering.

Example Impact Areas

• Played a pivotal role in initiating new projects and programmes by promoting the adoption of Leidos systems engineering practices, implementing digital engineering toolsets, and applying robust methodologies to ensure excellence throughout the delivery lifecycle.
• Delivering technical leadership and systems engineering expertise, providing assurance throughout the bid phase to drive strategic growth.
• Responsibilities include verifying that proposed solutions satisfy all requirements, adhere to established systems engineering standards, and are appropriately tailored when necessary.
• Key activities encompass collaborating with stakeholders to refine objectives, guiding engineering methodologies, and assisting teams in integrating systems thinking into solution development.
• Supervise product environment validation, cutover readiness, and deployment assurance activities.
• Create and update systems, digital, and product engineering guidelines suitable for various programme types and levels of complexity.

What does Leidos need from me?

Proven experience in leading systems, digital, and product engineering practices across complex, multi-disciplinary programmes, ideally in defence, aerospace, or government sectors.