Principal Systems Engineer IVV in Maidenhead

Company Overview

Ultra Intelligence & Communications Cyber (UK) Business – Powering Decision.

Join the team redefining defense technology.

From engineering systems that save lives to leading programs that change the battlefield, find your place in the future of defense.

Cyber Business

Our Cyber business unit pioneers advanced cryptographic and key management solutions, facilitating the confidential exchange of vital information for customers operating at tactical and strategic echelons.

Join our team and participate in the innovation that ensures the highest security and trust worldwide.

Job Description

The Project/Systems Engineering function provides expertise to all projects through the bid and full development lifecycle.

It ensures that both project and statutory requirements are suitably met and works to improve the effectiveness of the systems engineering approach within the company.

It is responsible for the system requirements, the resulting architecture, the design and integration of the solution, and for ensuring we design to cost and design for manufacture.

A professional at this grade applies technical and professional knowledge, makes reasoned independent judgments based on practice and significant previous experience, and often acts as a referral point or a senior team member to escalate complex challenges and opportunities.

The role is expected to act independently with minimal guidance and may mentor project managers or early‑career staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Assure Systems Engineering (in‑process verification and validation) and delivery of conclusive evidence via System Integration, Verification and Validation (IV&V) processes and activities.
• Ensure correctness and completeness of work products and solutions from the requirements phase onwards, executing an evidence creation strategy to progressively gain internal and external acceptance.
• Create and maintain IV&V artefacts such as strategies, plans, procedures, compliance matrices and reports to assure desired outcomes.
• Carry out IV&V responsibilities in accordance with IV&V processes and industry practices, so that internal, qualification and acceptance events are completed to an agreed level of maturity.
• Lead the cross‑discipline development of supporting test equipment, rigs and fixtures, including lifecycle requirements, design, development, testing and maintenance to support in‑service test events.
• Be responsible for all safety and security aspects relating to IV&V events and facilities used by the project.
• Actively participate as a key stakeholder at engineering design reviews and project gates, owning preparations, delivery and actions of TRR.
• Support qualification activities, including in‑house and external test houses.
• Utilise external IV&V facilities/test houses, organising interoperability testing and collaboratively developing test harnesses or fixtures.
• Actively contribute to improving processes, tools and techniques that increase the adoption, quality and efficiency of SE and IV&V engineering.
• Provide specialist knowledge and support to the wider engineering team.
• Expertise in mentoring and coaching engineers and non‑technical resources, sharing knowledge to aid consistent application of IV&V principles.
• Manage security of information as defined in Security Aspects and Government regulations.
• Manage line, technical or subject‑matter expert responsibilities (including managing a small team of systems engineers).

Qualifications

• Extant or recent SC security clearance.
• Flexible to travel within the UK to support external stakeholders, test houses and customers.
• Willing and able to obtain and maintain DV security clearance.
• Degree or equivalent qualification in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or relevant defence industry experience.
• Knowledge of Systems Engineering and V&V experience for solutions comprising Hardware, Software and Firmware components.
• Experience designing and delivering special‑to‑type test equipment across multi‑concurrent projects.
• Safety and security management for test environments, including laboratories.
• Demonstrable experience of INCOSE/ISO15288 Systems Engineering of complex solutions and delivered IV&V in accordance with ISO29119.

Desirable Responsibilities & Qualifications

• Familiarity with environmental facilities and their operation under guidance of environmental test teams.
• Defining basis of estimate costing for bid and change processes.
• Active review of professional publications and championing Systems Engineering/IV&V industry standards.
• Active membership and promotion of related professional organisations.
• Experience in the implementation of test facilities/equipment in relation to ISO17025.
• INCOSE membership – ASEP/CSEP; IV&V or test‑related certification/recognition.
• Experience in test automation, frameworks, and integration with manual testing for overall test campaigns.
• Experience in environmental, EMC, EMI, TEMPEST, etc design for and/or test.
• Scripting languages: Java Script, Python, Ruby, Perl, Bash, REST, My SQL.
• Knowledge of development approaches: iterative, incremental, Test‑Driven Development (TDD), Behaviour‑Driven Development (BDD), Acceptance Test‑Driven Development (ATDD), hybrid models, etc.
• Notice

Due to the nature of the programs we deliver, candidates may need to obtain the relevant security clearance or handle export‑controlled material as defined by the role's requirements.

Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate level of security clearance for the role.

Due to the nature of our work, you must be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.

For more information, please visit the UKSV website.

Benefits

• Participation in an Annual Bonus Scheme.
• Private Medical Cover.
• 25 days’ holiday (plus Bank Holidays) with the option to buy an extra 5 days.
• Pension Contribution.
• 4× Life Assurance Cover.
• Flexible working hours with an opportunity for a 1pm finish on a Friday.
• Flexible benefits including cycle‑to‑work scheme, will‑writing and more.
• Security Clearance Allowance – where relevant and subject to you holding the required security clearance.

EEO Statement

At Ultra I&C, we are an equal‑opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusivity.

Underpinned by our values, behaviours and policies, we want you to feel empowered to be the best version of yourself.

We also believe that people from different backgrounds and cultures will increase our diversity of thinking, ensuring we successfully deliver to our customers.

We, therefore, do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.

We support requests for flexible working arrangements wherever possible.

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