Chief Engineer & SDA — Hybrid, Mission-Critical EW Systems in Luton

Project Chief Engineer / Systems Design Authority

Are you ready to take on a pivotal Chief Engineer / Systems Design Authority (SDA) role, leading delivery across complex, high‑profile engineering programmes of national importance? We are looking for an exceptional technical leader to join Leonardo within the Integrated Mission Solutions (IMS) Sector. IMS delivers innovative software solutions across the Electronic Warfare Operation Support (EWOS) lifecycle, driving optimal performance and operational advantage from our Electronic Warfare portfolio. Partnering closely with our end users, we ensure our tool‑sets are tailored to their needs, from design and trials proving to mission planning and post‑flight analysis.

In this highly visible and strategically critical role, you will ensure robust governance and quality in the delivery of current products, while leading the technical direction for next‑generation mission data architectures and services, including training and test solutions. This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, with a combination of on‑site presence at our Luton or Lincoln offices and occasional UK and international travel.

The Chief Engineer’s/SDA’s Responsibilities Include:

• Owning the overall technical solution across the full lifecycle, including design, compliance, safety, integrity, and certification.
• Acting as the delegated Design Authority and Company Technical Signatory for assigned products.
• Leading technical engagement with customers to define solutions, supported by SMEs, and representing Leonardo with internal and external stakeholders.
• Delivering solutions that meet end‑user needs, working closely with development teams and the supply chain to understand operational use and requirements.
• Ensuring compliance with performance, legislative and contractual requirements, with clear, traceable evidence strategies in place.
• Managing technical trade‑offs across performance, cost and schedule to deliver coherent, achievable solutions.
• Providing technical leadership, including risk and opportunity management, and setting direction for requirements and verification strategies.
• Communicating key issues, risks and opportunities to senior engineering leadership and contributing to strategic capability and cost improvement initiatives.
• Leading and mentoring technical teams to deliver cost‑effective, high‑quality solutions.
• Chairing design reviews to ensure robust governance, quality and independent assurance and adherence to company lifecycle and engineering processes.

What You’ll Bring:

This role offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact within a growing engineering team, playing a key role in shaping the future of Mission Support Products using the latest technologies to meet evolving customer needs.

You Really Must Have:

• A strong technical background with extensive experience in the design, development, qualification and certification of complex military products, including radar and EW systems.
• Broad experience across Requirements, Verification, Qualification and Acceptance, including achieving Design Certification and Customer Acceptance.
• Proven ability to manage Design Standards and Configuration Management and deliver innovative system‑level solutions.
• Develop compliant technical solutions within cost and schedule constraints.
• Lead effectively with strong stakeholder engagement skills.
• Be a self‑motivated leader and collaborative team player, able to operate with minimal direction and communicate effectively with SMEs and end users across diverse technical and cultural environments.

It would be nice if you had:

• Knowledge of EW equipment use within customer operational environments, alongside awareness of training and software development principles.
• Degree‑qualified in a relevant engineering or scientific discipline, with Chartered Engineer status (or working towards) and Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) membership.
• Strong analytical capability with proven technical problem‑solving skills.

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). 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:

• 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.