Principal Systems Engineer (RF) in Luton

Are you looking to advance your career and work on technology that will shape the future of defence? Does working on developing systems for current and future military aircraft sound like a challenge that would be of interest?

We are recruiting for an RF and Signal Processing Specialist within the Systems Engineering Function to design and develop requirements and solutions that sit at the heart of our products on the core signal processing kernel. The role will require on-site working at our state of the art UK site in Luton.

Current ongoing work:

• Protection systems for current RAF aircraft and export customers, including Typhoon and Apache
• Technology development for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), developing Tempest, the next generation fighter aircraft that will replace the RAF’s Typhoon
• Concept demonstrators for future Electronic warfare technologies and systems
• Drawing insight from the vast amounts of data collected by our electronic surveillance systems through artificial intelligence and machine learning

What you’ll do as a Systems Engineer:

Our Systems Engineers work in multidisciplinary teams spanning a range of activities pulling together the necessary engineering and technology strands into a high-performance system, bridging the gap between the theoretically possible and the practically implementable.

Typical work you might be involved in:

• Early concept studies investigating the application of new technology on future platforms
• Engaging with stakeholders, defining requirements for a new system
• Conducting cost and functional performance trade-offs and evaluation of proposed solutions
• Enhancing capabilities and performance of in-service systems
• Designing and integrating new functionality into an existing system
• Modelling a system to understand observed simulated performance
• Development of capability within limitations and constraints of the target hardware
• Root-cause analysis of anomalies observed during integration or evaluation activities
• Designing and conducting testing and trials to prove equipment function and performance
• Opportunities to lead technical activities and initiatives
• Mentoring and coaching other engineers
• Creating and delivering reports, presentations and proposals to customers and industry partners
• Supporting knowledge sharing and exploitation of good practice

What we need from you:

• A science-based Honours degree or equivalent experience
• Industrial or academic research experience
• Mathematical Background in data analysis and pattern matching
• Experience in design of algorithms for embedded real-time systems
• Knowledge of Sensor Fusion technologies and strategies
• Experience or a desire to gain electronic warfare domain knowledge
• A desire to further your engineering knowledge through training, team working and mentoring
• Knowledge of the systems engineering lifecycle, particularly in the following areas:
• Problem definition
• Systems Architecture
• Synthetic Environments
• Systems Modelling and Analysis
• Integration
• Verification and Validation
• Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
• It would be desirable if you had experience from some of the following:
• Experience of working with related specialisms such as safety, security, or reliability
• Knowledge of operation of threat systems
• Working understanding of C++
• Domain-specialist knowledge such as:
• Digital signal processing
• RF systems
• Real time data simulation/generation
• Military Electronic systems
• Data analysis using AI or Machine Learning
• Operational Experience in Electronic Intelligence or Electronic Warfare

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: Senior Engineer £45k - £60k, Principal Engineer £55k - £70k. 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. Be part of something bigger - apply now!

Primary Location: GB - Luton - Cap. Green 300

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working: Onsite