Raven Mk2 Chief Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne

Your Impact

Are you ready to join Europe’s No.1 Airborne Radar Design Organisation? Leonardo’s Airborne AESA Radar (AAR) sector is embarking on one of the most significant radar development programmes in Europe — the next‑generation Raven Mk2 Radar for the Saab Gripen. This is a rare career‑defining opportunity to step into a pivotal technical leadership role at the heart of a world‑class engineering organisation with decades of airborne radar expertise. As the Raven Mk2 Hardware Chief Engineer, you’ll lead hardware architecture and LRU design for one of Leonardo’s most strategically important radar systems. Your decisions will directly influence not only the technical success of Raven Mk2, but also future business opportunities across Leonardo’s global radar portfolio. This is more than an appointment — it’s a succession pathway. You will be positioned on a supported development track towards the AAR Fire Control Chief Engineer role, offering progression opportunities that are extremely rare in the European defence sector.

What You’ll Bring

• Lead the hardware architecture and LRU design from concept to manufacture, leveraging your background experience in signal processing, radio systems, electro‑mechanical and/or complex systems engineering.
• Take the Design Approved Organisation Scheme role of Product Design Authority.
• Engage directly with customer, engineering and manufacturing stakeholders.
• Drive concept development and solution selection.
• Manage requirements, interfaces, and functional allocation.
• Provide technical leadership across partner engineering teams.
• Approve key engineering artefacts including qualification reports and compliance matrices.
• Support safety and security analysis.
• Lead design reviews and ensure technical governance.

Experience in LRU hardware / digital architecture design at Lead or Chief Engineer level, applied to digital signal processing and acquisition of RF/Microwave signals; ideally with experience in the military and/or air domain or similarly regulated environments. Eligibility for UK Security Clearance. (Desirable) Engineering degree, Chartered status, experience with Teamcenter/DOORS.

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.
• 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 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!