Project Chief Engineer in Basildon

Salary - £80k to £95k. 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 has an exciting opportunity for a Chief Engineer / Systems Design Authority (SDA) to join its NATO JEWCS Integrated Project Team (IPT), within the CEMA and ICS Sector based across the south of the UK.

We are producing the next generation 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 Chief Engineer, you will ensure the governance and quality for the delivery of the equipment and lead the technical direction of all aspects of the solution delivery including adherence to safety and security regulations and support including ILS training solutions. Responsibilities include:

• 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.

This role will see the successful candidate join the quickly expanding engineering team within the CEMA and ICS 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. Day to day duties include:

• 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.
• Work closely with development teams and supply chain to ensure that the overall solution meets the End Users need by understanding their requirements and Concept of Use and Operation.
• Ensure the products are compliant with any performance, legislative and contractual requirements, with a strategy for completing a traceable evidence set in place.
• 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.
• Ensure a high-level strategy for requirements matched to traceable evidence is set in place and executed consistently across the products and projects.

This is a hybrid role, with expectations to work out of our site in Basildon, Southampton or Luton around 2 days per week.

What you'll bring: You will have proven experience in a similar senior role and a solid working knowledge of Radar or Comms.

Essential Experience:

• A strong background in development of complex military products.
• Have experience in developing systems solutions particularly with the radar/communication and EW domains.
• 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.
• Have the ability to produce and develop innovative technical and system solutions, compliant with requirements within agreed programme budgets and timescales.
• Possess 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.
• Be a self-motivated leader and team player capable of working with minimum direction.

Desirable Experience:

• Knowledge of use of EW equipment in the customer domain.
• Knowledge of Training Development.
• Knowledge of Software Development.
• Degree qualified in a relevant Engineering or Scientific discipline (or equivalent).
• Chartered engineer / member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).
• Have substantial analytical and technical problem solving skills.

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 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 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!