Project Engineering Lead in Luton

Your Impact

At Leonardo, we have a fantastic opportunity for a Project Engineering Lead. The role requires onsite commitment of 3/4 days per week which can be based in either Bristol or Luton. This role is part of the Future Combat Air (FCA) Line of Business within the Electronics Division of Leonardo. The Division designs, develops and builds complex electronic systems and services for the global defence market. FCA acts as a Prime Contracting Office (PCO) on behalf of the division for large-scale contracts, such as TEAM TEMPEST and the GLOBAL COMBAT AIR PROGRAMME (GCAP).

The role provides the opportunity to operate at the cutting edge of technological innovation for the development of advanced technical capabilities ensuring the UK's position as a global leader in combat air. Working in collaboration with industry partners, and guided by the MoD, Capability Managers and technical Subject Matter Experts, the successful candidate will join the Engineering Management Team responsible for delivering key elements of the sensing and non-kinetic effector command-and-control product for the next generation of combat air capability.

What you'll bring:

• Proven experience of leadership of technical programmes, driving technical delivery alongside team management to create a high-performing team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong working relationships both internally and externally, and to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, across multiple sites.
• Proven experience and knowledge of lifecycle management, risk management, project execution and business processes.
• Ability to produce clear, concise engineering documentation.
• Self-motivation with a strong aptitude for problem solving and decision-making within projects involving complexity and uncertainty.
• A proactive approach with a "can do" attitude, striving for continuous improvement, effectiveness and efficiency.
• Effective planning and schedule management skills with tried and tested work package definition, delegation and empowerment strategies.

Beneficial experience:

• Experience of working in the defence electronics sector.
• Knowledge of defensive aids systems or avionics equipment.
• Knowledge of aviation qualification for complex electronic equipment.
• A familiarity with Agile development methodology.

What you will do as Project Engineering Lead:

• Oversee, maintain and report on the integrated engineering plan for product elements, defining key performance measures, milestones, and all internal and external dependencies.
• Manage the engineering Team ensuring that roles and objectives are clearly defined.
• Deliver the engineering solutions on time, to cost, quality and to process.
• Own the engineering estimation and resourcing requirements for the delivery of engineering solutions, including customer tasking.
• Manage the interface between engineering and other functions, establishing and maintaining good lines of communication across the Integrated Project Team (IPT).
• Develop good working relationships with internal stakeholders, customers and suppliers to ensure an open and collaborative project environment.
• Work closely with the project design authority and subject matter experts to resolve technical issues and customer queries, providing metrics and reports to the customer as required.
• Work closely with the appointed safety, security and Design Integrity authorities to ensure that the delivered technical solutions will meet the performance, contractual and legislative requirements.
• Manage the technical risks and opportunities, including any associated mitigation strategies.
• Ensure effective implementation of the design maturity review process and ensure enabling maturity is tracked and delivered as part of the overall programme.
• Ensure that project configuration, quality and change management are implemented effectively, and to process.

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.

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 (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• 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 part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

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. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

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.