Chief Project Engineer in Basildon

Salary Range - £78,000 - £95,000 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.

Role Overview

An A Project Chief Engineer (Systems Design Authority) is required to join the Sensors business sector in Leonardo, covering electro-optic systems and precision guidance products.

Within the Sensors business sector, the projects are diverse and exciting, well suited to a dynamic and driven individual, with a passion for innovation and a keen interest in the defence industry.

There is a portfolio of work that covers core products that have been in service for a number of years, but also product and technology developments, which support the future growth of our business.

With customer intimacy and close collaboration with other organisations across the industry, we work to achieve a market leading position in products primarily relating to the electro-optic domain.

The opportunity to be involved as a Project Chief Engineer represents a chance to be at the heart of a range of technologies and exciting projects across the full engineering lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Be delegated by the business as the Design Authority & Company Technical Signatory for the required products.
• Represent, supported by Subject Matter Experts, the company when engaging with the customer and End User to define the technical solution.
• Ensure independent product assurance through Design Reviews and ensuring company procedures are adhered to.
• Be responsible for delivered product design, compliance, safety and integrity.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplined project team in close partnership with key stakeholders.
• Encourage a mind-set of continuous improvement for the team and products to ensure we grow and learn.
• Own the technical solution for all phases of the solution development by representing Leonardo with external stakeholders and representing the Line of Business with internal stakeholders to ensure all elements of Product development are considered as part of the integrated solution.
• As part of the product integrity delivery team keep up to date on related processes and requirements.
• Work closely with development teams and supply chain to ensure that the overall solution meets the End Users need by understanding their Concept of Use and Operation.
• Ensure the products are compliant with any performance, legislative and contractual requirements, with a strategy for completing a set of traceable evidence.
• Support the team in guiding them to assemble appropriate evidence and stakeholder engagement to the approval of Design Integrity certification process.
• Ensure robust quality, performance, cost and time trade-offs are undertaken and then to establish the technical solution coherent with the agreed budgets and timescales.
• Chair design reviews on Products, Systems and Services to ensure they are technically sound and compliant with the Company’s approach to lifecycle management.
• Provide technical direction, control, evaluation and recommendations with respect to risks and opportunities.
• Ensure a high-level strategy for requirements matched to traceable evidence is set in place and executed consistently across the products and projects.
• Lead and Mentor the technical team to enable a cost-effective design programme and product solution results.
• Manage and communicate issues and opportunities to the engineering management, and design integrity group.
• Define strategic capability improvements and cost versus performance initiatives, working with colleagues to generate development roadmaps.
• What You Will Bring

Essential Experience

• A strong background in development of complex products.
• Experience of working with Requirements, Test Qualification and Acceptance strategies.
• Experience of managing the Design Standard and associated Configuration Management.
• Experience in gaining Design Certification and Customer Acceptance.
• Ability to produce and develop innovative technical and system solutions, compliant with requirements within agreed programme budgets and timescales.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, to be able to interact with SMEs and End Users of various nationalities regarding a wide range of technical and operational topics.
• Self‑motivated leader and team player capable of working with minimum direction.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with laser guidance concepts of operation, including designation schemes such as STANAG 3733.
• Familiarity with laser physics and propagation.
• Detailed knowledge of photodiode detectors and analogue electronics operating across an ultra‑low noise and wide dynamic range regime.
• Detailed knowledge of embedded signal processing.
• 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).

For more information and guidance please visit https://careers. uk. leonardo. com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Benefits

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.

• Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi‑days each year.
• Benefit from our award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• 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).
• All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and Linked In Learning.
• Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech and lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible hours with hybrid working options.
• Location & Working Arrangements
• Primary Location: GB - Basildon
• Hybrid Working: Onsite

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.

About Leonardo

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.

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!

#J-18808-Ljbffr