Project Engineering Manager in Basildon, Essex

Your Impact

Due to growth within the Precision Guidance business area we have a requirement for an additional Project Engineering Manager to deliver our modelling and software activities across a number of key programmes. Reporting to the Head of Engineering Projects, you will hold personal responsibility for the leadership of software development, from Requirements through to Acceptance. You will work with stakeholders to define software delivery methods ranging from model-driven code generation through to hand-coding.

Project Engineering Managers build strong relationships with Engineering Functional Leads and/or external partners to ensure the resourcing plans within the team they lead are realistic and any issues arising are resolved swiftly. The role requires a candidate who is self-motivated and enthusiastic, with strong leadership and behavioural skills. The ability to foster and develop effective working relationships is key to ensure engineers perform to the levels required of the project. A strong commercial and business awareness is also essential to ensure that the engineering effort is managed effectively for each given project, delighting the customer and ensuring project success.

Key Responsibility Areas

• The management of a dynamic Software engineering team. Working closely with the Projects to deliver their software to time, cost and performance budgets.
• The generation of clear and relevant engineering plans, establishing key milestones and identifying risks, opportunities and interdependencies.
• Reviewing the current engineering positions on projects, and adapting plans as required to mitigate risks to either cost, schedule or performance budgets.
• The preparation and communication of monthly engineering status reports.
• The coordination of engineering input into bids as part of the business winning process.
• Line management of a team of Software Engineers and System Modellers.

What you'll Bring

• Educated to a degree level in an engineering-related subject - or equivalent experience (essential)
• Significant previous experience of leading Software engineering teams, including the effective use of Jira in an agile development environment (essential)
• Strong understanding and proven track record of the software engineering lifecycle and processes on technically complex development projects (essential)
• Experience with The Mathworks toolset, including code generation (desirable)
• Experience of working within the defence industry (desirable)

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.
• 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!

Primary Location: GB - Basildon

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working: Hybrid