Systems Engineer (Flight Data and ATM Systems)

NATS is the UK's leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Job Purpose/Overview

This is a role within the Flight Domain of the Systems Engineering and Software Engineering team, working on both asset sustainment and transformation programme delivery. System areas include Flight Data Processing, Queue and Capacity Management, Separation Provision, and Traffic Synchronisation Tooling.

Support and execute systems engineering activities within the assigned Domain/Capability, delivering high-quality solutions for asset and transformation projects, ensuring alignment with performance, operational, and safety standards, and contributing to delivery within time, cost, and quality targets.

Other Duties Include

• Requirements and Design Management: Support, and manage where appropriate, the development, validation, and management of requirements, interfaces, and system design proposals.
• Systems Engineering: Contribute to the engineering deliverables for project(s) and/or asset(s) ensuring these meet stakeholder needs which contribute to the delivery of work packages, leading these where appropriate.
• Team Support and Oversight: Provide guidance to junior engineers and contribute to team performance, ensuring resource allocation aligns with objectives.
• Testing and Acceptance: Contribute to the planning, execution, documentation of system acceptance, and hardware/software testing including at supplier sites.
• Project Support: Act as a supporting resource for project queries, facilitating documentation changes where required.
• Technical Support: Provide advice to internal and external stakeholders for the assigned Domain/Capability.
• Review and Assurance Participation: Assist in Solution Reviews and ensure alignment with safety and qualification assurance plans.
• Continuous Improvement: Stay updated on industry, technology & business advancements and contribute to assessing system impacts.

Autonomy

The role requires independent action to execute allocated tasks, ensure quality delivery, and manage resources effectively, all within the boundaries of NATS Business Management processes (BMS). Resource commitments align with approved work packages, with significant autonomy in problem-solving and individual task prioritisation to meet agreed objectives.

Job Scope

• Co-ordination and Collaboration: Work with Design Teams, Project Engineering Managers, Project Managers, and customers to clarify technical performance, requirements, timescales, and work plans for delivering project work packages and asset management tasks.
• Requirements and Design: Elicit / analyse / review technical requirements and documentation to determine optimal solutions for the assigned Domain / Capability, ensuring alignment with project or asset objectives.
• Planning and Leadership: Contribute to planning and executing tasks, typically over 6-12 months, supporting the team to deliver outputs in line with NATS Business Management Processes.
• Technical Expertise: Provide technical input throughout project phases, providing efficient resolution of issues to stakeholders.
• Deliverables: Assist in production of key outputs as required by the System Engineering roles undertaken, including: System Architecture Documentation, Work Packages plans, Design & Requirement reports/specification, risk assessments and associated safety documentation, etc.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Qualifications: The post holder is expected to hold, as a minimum, a Higher National Certificate in an Engineering or Information Technology related discipline, and relevant experience. Job holders not holding the expected qualification but who have undertaken structured technical training (e.g. apprenticeship recognised by a professional body) with recognised qualification ideally to at least HNC equivalent level will also be considered.
• Experience: Experience in systems engineering, supporting technical teams, and working within safety-critical or real-time environments.
• Knowledge: Good understanding of technical concepts within the Domain/Capability, with experience in a technology delivery environment, and familiarity with relevant national and international technical standards.
• Skills: Strong problem-solving ability, understanding of the systems engineering lifecycle, effective communication skills, and the capability to mentor junior engineers when required.

We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive both personally and professionally. We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely. We also welcome discussions on flexible and part-time working arrangements. If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe - we would like to hear from you.