Principal Systems Engineer (Networks) in Southampton

Your impact

Do you want to grow your career in network engineering and work on projects that safeguard the UK’s national interests? At Leonardo, our Network Engineers are at the heart of designing, configuring, and supporting secure networks that keep our customers connected and protected.

Your work at Leonardo UK will see you take the lead in meeting customer requirements in an agile, innovative and team-centric manner. The role will involve a mixture of working from home and working on site to ensure close collaboration with the wider team. When on site, this is an office and integration laboratory based role using display screen equipment, network test equipment and mixed COTS and MOTS IP network and virtual environment technologies. Predominantly a technical practitioner role, manual handling will also be expected.

The successful candidate would provide technical expertise within the Land and Naval domain of Leonardo with a focus on IP network and virtual environment technologies for predominantly naval platforms. The successful candidate would be working within an Integrated Project Team and be responsible to the Project System Design Authority for the configuration, implementation, documentation and verification of Cisco based network and Windows server data architectures within some of the most demanding naval environments. The successful candidate would be expected to work towards Design Authority status for IP network and virtual environments.

What you'll do

• All assigned systems engineering aspects of new and existing networks and network applications embodied on naval platforms working at all phases of the development lifecycle.
• Support the development of current and future systems architectures/design and their implementation.
• Support to the capture of design artefacts as appropriate for all stages in the engineering lifecycle appropriate for managing existing systems and for taking concepts through to development.
• Test definition, test execution and fault finding across IP networks and hosted systems.
• Development of system installation and setting to work guidance.
• Working closely with customers through the verification and validation stages of projects to ensure systems meet their requirements and needs.
• Once deployed, the day to day support of the networks is generally performed by the customer, with Leonardo UK providing spare equipment and design authority support (such as obsolescence management and approval of configuration changes).

What you’ll bring

• Solid understanding of core networking concepts and protocols.
• Experience with configuring and supporting network devices in enterprise environments.
• Ability to work independently on defined work packages while collaborating effectively with wider teams.
• A proactive approach and willingness to learn new tools and technologies.

Essential:

• Practical experience of network implementation, setting to work and verification; including fault finding, fault resolution, electrical safety and safe working practices.
• Experience of system/network design and architecture definition.
• Experience of writing documentation in support of verification of a network and for user information.
• Hands on Experience in COTS IP network equipment; particularly Cisco.
• Hands on Experience in COTS virtual environment software; for example, VMware ESXi.
• Hands on Experience in COTS server software, for example Windows server and Active Directory, DNS, DHCP.
• Demonstrable experience as a COTS IP networks practitioner; equivalent or higher than Cisco CCNA qualification.
• Broad experience of all engineering lifecycle phases.
• Broad knowledge of tools and processes used in the design, development and acceptance of products and systems.
• Knowledge of TCP/IP, OSI model, and common networking protocols.
• Understanding of network security concepts and secure configurations.

Desirable:

• Use of DOORs in requirements management.
• Experience in COTS virtual environment backup software, for example VEEAM.
• Experience with COTS network management and diagnostic software, for example Wireshark, SolarWinds Network Performance Manager and Network Configuration Manager.
• Experience with user Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server software, for example Cisco ISE.
• Experience with Product Lifecycle Management tools, particularly Teamcenter.
• Understanding of VPNs, VLANs, and routing protocols (OSPF).

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. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), along with an additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV), including 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. Due to the nature of the work and its connections to UK Defence strategy, applicants must have five years UK Residency and hold a UK Passport.

Salary Range:

Principal Engineer £54k - £71k. Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment. 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.

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 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!