50 Best optics Jobs in Rayleigh (September 2026)

Principal / Lead Systems Engineer

14 days ago

Wickford

Are you a Systems Engineer who loves contributing to the UKs Defence Industry and making impactful change? We are recruiting for a Lead/Principal Systems Engineer in our growing Precision Guidance team, working on real engineering problems, designing and developing solutions that sit at the heart of our products. Hybrid working from our sites in Basildon, Bristol or Southampton. As the Principal Systems Engineer you will support the execution Systems Engineering capability and improvement matters across the Business Areas, providing proactive guidance to senior stakeholders on Systems Thinking and Methods for adoption that aligns with successful project execution. What we build is exciting, interesting, challenging and complex. A diverse product portfolio of technologies, with each programme at a different stage in its development lifecycle. The focus of this role is the execution of systems engineering activities, and in supporting & providing expertise to ensure: • Our systems engineering team assess the problem completely, • Our teams reuse techniques and artefacts across the portfolio of projects, • Our teams manage complexity through architecting our systems well, • Our teams predict and mitigate emergent behaviours when operating at a system or integrated systems level, • Our projects create and enact the correct verification and validation strategy You will be able to demonstrate passion for your trade by instilling a systems-thinking approach based on experience forming and leading high performing teams. You will be able to influence those you work with, thrive in dynamic environments, demonstrate resilience when faced with adversity and able to make decisions quickly under pressure and setting a clear technical vision for the project team. Given the extensive people engagement nature of the work, we are still able to offer custom working that allows for a combination of home and on-site working i.e. flexible working delivering effective results. Day to day duties include; • Influence the development of Engineering artefacts, their technical direction and ultimately stakeholder satisfaction, • You will work across a highly demanding and complex area of the business, immersed in full-scale development programmes spanning the breadth of the engineering lifecycle across Precision Guidance, • Act as the focal point for systems engineering governance on the project, • Provide expertise and guidance to ensure our engineers understand the problem completely and stakeholder needs through effective coaching on Systems Engineering practices (early and later lifecycle stages), • Ensure the appropriate level of concepting, modelling and simulation techniques are used across the lifecycle to inform architectures and solution options, • Influence whole life design considerations relating to Safety, Security, Manufacture, Test, Supportability, Through Life Support in line with company processes, • Represent Leonardo within Systems Engineering bodies and groups of interest, such as INCOSE, • Promote an agile mind-set to systems engineering, building a culture of experimentation and failing fast, • Collaborate with your peers in similar roles across the UK to promote a culture of continual learning and improvement, acting as a change agent for systems engineering You will have proven experience as a Lead or Principal Engineer (or role with similar responsibilities), with the following attributes: • Experience in applying governance and guidance on Systems Engineering LCM process, • Experience working in Integrated Project Teams delivering Engineering artefacts successfully, • Experience in managing and collaborating with internal/external stakeholders, • Proven leadership and decision-making skills in a high complexity, dynamic environment, • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, proven ability to build trust and respect at different levels, • Motivation, tenacity and determination, with a desire to deliver outputs and results The following experience/skills are very desirable; • Experience in deriving Stakeholder Needs to Solution Domain Functions and Constraints - evidencing trade off decisions across multiple concepts., • Experience with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Model Based Design (MBD) tools and methodologies to support describing and analysing through the problem to implementation domains, • Domain experience any of the following specialisms; Electro-Optics, Infrared Imaging, Image Processing, Telecommunications, RF or Electronic Warfare, • Experience in creating and defining architectures – able to describe methods and techniques for optimization and managing the trade-offs from constraints This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn. This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive. • Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year., • Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution., • Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity)., • Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme., • Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning., • Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme., • Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more., • Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role. For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website. Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity. Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment. Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. GB - Basildon Permanent Hybrid #J-18808-Ljbffr

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