Lead Systems Engineer – Space

Be part of a team delivering the next generation of secure military communications satellites for the UK Ministry of Defence. This work provides resilient, high-performance connectivity for the UK, its allies and Defence personnel worldwide, playing a critical role in protecting national security as space becomes more contested and demand for secure data continues to grow.

Joining Lockheed Martin also means helping to shape significant investment in the North East space sector, with more than £100 million proposed to support high-skill jobs, advanced manufacturing and long-term economic growth. Opportunities include potential satellite manufacturing in County Durham and collaboration with NESST – the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre at Northumbria University – helping to build a strong pipeline of talent, learning and innovation.

This is your chance to work on mission-critical technology, develop cutting-edge skills and build a meaningful career, while delivering lasting impact for the region and the nation.

The Role:

We are seeking an experienced Systems Engineering, Integration & Test (SEIT) leader to support the development and delivery of advanced satellite and ground systems programmes in the UK. This is a high-impact technical leadership role responsible for guiding systems engineering, integration, verification and validation activities across the full programme lifecycle — from architecture and development through integration, test and delivery. You will work closely with senior leadership, customers, suppliers and multidisciplinary engineering teams to ensure successful programme execution while balancing technical, schedule and business priorities. The role requires strong systems engineering expertise, programme leadership capability and the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and executive stakeholders. The successful candidate will lead the UK-based SEIT team and play a key role in the delivery of complex space systems and mission capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate systems engineering, integration and test activities across satellite and ground system development programmes, including:
• Managing and evolving the system requirements baseline throughout the programme lifecycle,
• Leading system integration, verification and validation planning and execution,
• Developing and maintaining system integration and test strategies, plans and procedures,
• Maintaining system architecture models, technical artefacts and design documentation,
• Defining and tracking Technical Performance Measures (TPMs) and programme technical metrics,
• Leading technical reviews, readiness reviews and engineering governance activities,
• Coordinating cross-functional engineering teams, suppliers and partners to resolve technical issues and delivery risks,
• Supporting programme execution in partnership with the Program Manager, Chief Engineer and IPT leads,
• Driving continuous improvement in systems engineering and integration processes,
• Mentoring and developing engineers across the SEIT function.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Lockheed Martin is committed to upholding principles of equal opportunity, fostering a work environment that is aligned with our core values of integrity, respect, and exceptional performance. We recognize the importance of leveraging the unique talents and experiences of all our employees to drive innovation, deliver superior solutions, and maximize value for our customers. Our focus is on identifying the most qualified candidate for each role, regardless of their background. If you are interested in a position, we invite you to share how your skills and perspectives could bolster our team and encourage you to apply, even if you feel your qualifications do not fully meet all the job criteria outlined in our advertisement. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin is dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive for all individuals. We are prepared to accommodate reasonable adjustments for applicants as needed. If you require assistance or adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact recruitment@global.lmco.com.

Required skills, qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics or a related technical discipline, or equivalent industry experience
• Significant experience in systems engineering, integration and test within the space or satellite industry
• Proven hands-on experience in satellite system-level integration and testing within cleanroom and laboratory environments
• Strong understanding of GEO satellite systems and spacecraft architectures
• Experience with environmental verification testing processes and campaign execution
• Experience developing Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT) plans, procedures and test documentation
• Strong requirements management experience, including verification planning and requirements sell-off
• Familiarity with industry standards including ECSS, NASA and MIL-STD
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex technical information clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
• Active or current UK Security Clearance (SC) eligibility required; UK or NATO citizenship essential.

Desirable:

• Experience leading Systems Engineering teams across full development programme lifecycles
• Experience implementing Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approaches on complex programmes
• Knowledge of spacecraft payloads, subsystem technologies and associated ground systems
• Experience with software integration, interface definition and system-level testing
• Strong understanding of configuration management, baseline control and change management processes
• Experience in risk and opportunity management within complex development programmes
• Fixed-price contract delivery experience
• Programme management or Integrated Product Team (IPT) leadership experience
• Experience delivering satellite communications or mission-critical space systems
• Recognised subject matter expertise in Systems Engineering processes and governance.

Business Environment

By bringing together people that use their passion for purposeful innovation, at Lockheed Martin we keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide career opportunities designed to propel development and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. At Lockheed Martin, we place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering innovation, integrity, and exemplifying the embodiment of corporate responsibility.

Lockheed Martin Space is one of the four major business areas within Lockheed Martin. LMUK Space is at the forefront of Lockheed Martin’s International growth strategy including building exquisite satellites for a broad array of missions, ground station mission planning and command & control software products deployed to a diverse customer base as well as key capabilities in AI and space exploration and all underpinned by key strategic collaborations with universities in the UK. We not only deliver on current requirements, Lockheed Martin are always focused on the future requirements of this exciting and growing space domain which is a key enabler to our daily lives and future safety and security.

What we offer you

At Lockheed Martin our employees come first and therefore your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us. On top of working in a highly supportive, friendly, respectful environment you can expect so much more. We are an employer in support of and offering Flexible working with the option to also work a 4 day week depending on business requirements, where you have the option of Fridays off. We offer Competitive salaries alongside a flexible holiday entitlement. We have a Wealth of benefits available to you that can be selected through our wellbeing tool upon commencement of employment. Just a few of our amazing benefits are shown below:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Competitive Pension
• Dental
• Critical Illness
• Life Assurance
• Travel Insurance
• Employee discounts for top high street shops
• Employee Assistance Program which includes free face to face counseling sessions, Legal advice, Financial advice, etc
• Internal training and development alongside our Education assistance programmes
• Reimbursement for a professional membership
• Competitive policies that support flexibility and family leave inclusive of enhanced maternity leave