Aerospace Head of Function (Systems, Safety and Embedded Software)

Expleo Group; West of England; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Expleo Group seeks an Aerospace Head of Function (Systems / Software) to lead technical governance and capability development within its aerospace engineering environment. You will act as the primary technical escalation point for the sector Chief Engineer and ensure safe, compliant delivery across complex projects.

You will drive engineering maturity, lead ETLs and TLs, and oversee technical reviews, risk management, and resource planning with a strong focus on INCOSE and SFIA-aligned standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering or computing.
• Strong lifecycle knowledge (requirements, architecture, integration, V&V, quality).
• Chartered Engineer or equivalent.
• INCOSE CSEP; ESEP-aligned capability preferred.
• Lead H&S Auditor qualification desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical authority across projects and bids, approving key outputs, plans, and estimates.
• Act as escalation point for technical risk, quality, and engineering integrity issues.
• Assure compliance with relevant standards, legislation, and governance.
• Conduct and oversee technical reviews and audits in line with project quality plans.
• Intervene where technical risk exists, including stopping work on technical grounds.
• Ensure projects are resourced with appropriately SQEP engineers.
• Lead and develop Engineering Team Leads (ETLs) and Team Leads (TLs), ensuring strong technical input to appraisals and development planning.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering practice and capability maturity.

Skills

INCOSE Lead

SFIA Level 6

Safety procedures

Technical authority

H&S Auditor

Education

Engineering or computing degree

Chartered Engineer

INCOSE CSEP

ESEP-aligned capability

Job description

Essential

The Aerospace Head of Function (Systems / Software) is a senior technical manager for the discipline within Expleo’s aerospace engineering environment.

The role is accountable for technical governance, delivery assurance, and capability development, acting as the primary technical escalation point on behalf of the sector Chief Engineer.

Operating in a high-assurance, safety-critical context, the role ensures systems or software delivery and safety is technically robust, compliant, and supported by appropriate capability, standards, and lifecycle practice.

• Systems: Minimum INCOSE Lead Practitioner, with Expert capability preferred in technical authority areas.


• Software: Aligned to SFIA Level 6 (Initiate / Influence), reflecting function-level authority across software engineering capability, governance, and delivery.


• Safety. Experience of CAA, MAA procedures for civil and fast jets in leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical authority across projects and bids, approving key technical outputs, plans, and estimates.


• Act as escalation point for technical risk, quality, and engineering integrity issues.


• Assure compliance with relevant standards, legislation, and engineering governance.


• Conduct and oversee technical reviews and audits in line with project quality plans.


• Intervene where technical risk exists, including stopping work on technical grounds.


• Ensure projects are resourced with appropriately SQEP engineers.


• Lead and develop Engineering Team Leads (ETLs) and Team Leads (TLs), ensuring strong technical input to appraisals and development planning.


• Drive continuous improvement in engineering practice and capability maturity.

Qualifications

• Essential
  
  
  
  • Degree in a relevant engineering or computing discipline.
  
  
  • Strong lifecycle knowledge (requirements, architecture, integration, V&V, quality)
  
  
  
  


• Preferred
  
  
  
  • Chartered Engineer (or equivalent)
  
  
  • INCOSE CSEP (Systems); ESEP-aligned capability preferred.
  
  
  • Lead H&S Auditor.
  
  
  
  

Essential Skills

• Systems (INCOSE-aligned)
  
  
  
  • Requirements definition and management
  
  
  • System architecture and trade studies
  
  
  • Integration, interfaces, V&V
  
  
  • Technical leadership and mentoring
  
  
  
  

Software (SFIA-aligned – Level 6)

• Demonstrable authority across core SFIA software skills, including:
  
  
  
  • Architecture (ARCH)
  
  
  • Requirements (REQM)
  
  
  • Design (DESN)
  
  
  • Integration & build (SINT)
  
  
  • Testing & quality (TEST / NFTS)
  
  
  • Configuration & change (CFMG)
  
  
  • Lifecycle engineering (SLEN)
  
  
  
  


• At SFIA Level 6, the role sets technical direction, influences across programmes, and assures delivery through governance rather than direct execution.

Safety (CAA MAA Aligned)