At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex defence trials and work with cutting-edge technology.
- Company: Join QinetiQ, a leader in defence and technology innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy generous holidays, health plans, and a matched pension scheme.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace with opportunities for growth and community engagement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on national security while developing your skills.
- Qualifications: Degree in engineering and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Join us at our Bristol site, where you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in partnership with some of the most brilliant minds.
The Role: As a Technical Lead - Complex Trials, you'll join our Mission Rehearsal team delivering some of the UK's most challenging and visible defence Trials activities. Day-to-day, you'll support Air systems, Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS), Surface-to-Air Weapon Systems, One-Way Effectors and emerging defence technologies. We work directly with MOD, DE&S, Front Line Commands and industry partners to plan, coordinate and execute Trials that generate evidence, reduce risk and enable critical capability decisions.
We are seeking individuals who can operate as Trials Technical Leads, Trials Leads or ideally develop across both roles and lead activities from initial concept through to successful execution.
- Lead technically complex and nationally important Trials activities
- Work directly with MOD customers, DE&S, Front Line Commands and external partners
- Influence how future defence capabilities are developed and assessed
- Engage with cutting-edge technologies across Air and Land domains
- Travel to UK ranges and customer locations, including deployments of up to four weeks
- Work with multidisciplinary teams across engineering, operations and programme delivery
- See the direct impact of your work through successful Trials execution and customer outcomes
Your responsibilities will include:
- As a Trials Technical Lead, you will provide the leadership and technical governance required to deliver successful Trials in accordance with the Trials Process and Systems Engineering principles:
- Define Trial objectives, requirements and success criteria
- Develop Trial strategies and execution plans
- Coordinate technical inputs from multiple disciplines
- Manage risks, assumptions, dependencies and constraints
- Produce and review Trial documentation and evidence
- Lead technical reviews and readiness activities
- As a Trials Lead, you will become the focal point for live Trial delivery, working closely with customers, Range operations and technical teams to ensure successful execution:
- Deploy to ranges and customer sites
- Coordinate technical teams, range staff and customers
- Lead live Trial events and demonstrations
- Manage issues and maintain momentum during execution
- Provide leadership and decision-making in dynamic environments
- Capture outcomes and lessons learned
Essential experience of the Technical Lead - Complex Trials:
- Technical leadership and project delivery experience
- Systems Engineering knowledge and application
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
- Ability to influence and coordinate multidisciplinary teams
- Confidence in customer-facing environments
- A proactive, adaptable and delivery-focused mindset
Essential qualifications for the Technical Lead - Complex Trials:
- Degree-level qualification in a relevant engineering discipline (e.g., Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, Civil)
This role is 37 hours per week based at our Bristol site with a minimum average site attendance of three days per week. Travel to other QinetiQ and customer sites will be expected.
At QinetiQ we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible and welcoming workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We believe that a diverse mix of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences drives innovation and leads to better outcomes for our people, customers and communities. We encourage applications from all candidates and are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing internal_recruitment@qinetiq.
Our Benefits:
- Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
- Generous holiday allowance, with the option to purchase additional days
- Options to join Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
- Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more
- We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant and maintaining our Gold Award standard in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme
- Volunteering Opportunities - helping charities and local community
Tech Lead Testing in Bristol employer: QinetiQ
At QinetiQ, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment at our Boscombe Down facility, where innovation meets defence technology. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our inclusive culture, competitive benefits, and opportunities for professional development, ensuring that every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute to meaningful projects that protect lives. Join us and be part of a diverse team that thrives on collaboration and creativity, all while enjoying the unique advantages of working at a site renowned for its aviation and aerospace capabilities.
