Project Engineering Lead in Milton Keynes

This role is pivotal in leading the design, development, and delivery of high-reliability electronic systems for aerospace and aviation applications. You will combine strong technical expertise in electronics with leadership responsibility, guiding a team of RF and electronic engineers while ensuring robust, innovative, and manufacturable solutions are delivered across the full product lifecycle.

Main Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of electronic hardware, covering digital, analogue, and mixed-signal systems.
• Define system and hardware architectures in accordance with relevant aviation standards and regulatory requirements, including DO-254.
• Manage the complete hardware development lifecycle, from requirements definition and design through verification, validation, and certification support.
• Ensure hardware designs satisfy requirements for performance, safety, reliability, manufacturability, and environmental compliance.
• Provide technical leadership and engineering authority across projects, contributing to formal design reviews and technical governance activities, including PDR, CDR, and TRR.
• Lead engineering project delivery, including planning, resource management, risk mitigation, and delivery against agreed schedules.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams across systems, mechanical, manufacturing, quality, and related engineering functions.
• Support new product introduction activities, helping ensure an effective transition from engineering design into production.
• Lead and manage engineers and technicians, providing technical guidance, coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
• Support business development activities, including bids and proposals, technical solution development, cost estimation, and risk assessment.
• Build and maintain effective technical relationships with customers and external partners, ensuring requirements and expectations are clearly understood.
• Promote continuous improvement across engineering processes, design methodologies, tools, and working practices.

Person Specification:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strong experience in electronic hardware design (analogue, digital, or mixed-signal).
• Proven experience delivering engineering projects in aerospace, aviation, defence, or other safety-critical industries.
• Demonstrable experience working to DO 254 standards, including hardware lifecycle and certification processes.
• Experience managing or leading engineering projects and/or technical teams.
• Familiarity with structured product development lifecycles and gated review processes.
• Experience working with regulated quality systems (e.g. AS9100, ISO9001).
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Team leadership, coaching, and development.
• Ownership of technical and project delivery.
• Driving a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Must be eligible for security clearance.

Working Hours and Benefits:

• 37.5 hours per week.
• Mon-Thurs, 08:00-16:30, Fri 08:00-13:30.
• Flexible working practices – we work a 9-day fortnight, offer flexitime, and work a half day Friday.
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) with the option to buy up to 5 additional days.
• Health cash plan – cash back for everyday health expenses.
• Additional benefits including access to 24/7 remote GP services, physiotherapy consultations and gym discounts.
• Pension scheme with 6% employer contributions.
• Life assurance – 4 x annual salary.
• Reward and recognition platform.
• Discount platform – retail, leisure, gym discounts and more.
• Employee assistance programme with access to confidential counselling services.
• Support for further training and education.
• Relocation assistance up to £8,000 if you relocate to take up a position.