Assistant Chief Engineer SSNA Combat System

BAE Systems; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense contractor is seeking an Assistant Chief Engineer to oversee product designs for complex Combat Systems. You will ensure designs are compliant with legal and regulatory standards while managing integration across engineering activities. Candidates should have strong expertise in engineering principles and experience in Combat Systems. The company offers a hybrid working environment, competitive salary, and an extensive range of employee benefits including a pension scheme and health plans.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible discounted health benefits

Private health plans

Shopping discounts

Annual incentive eligibility

Qualifications

• Broad comprehensive knowledge of engineering principles and concepts.
• Good experience in Combat System engineering or complex systems.
• Understanding of legal and regulatory requirements for the products.

Responsibilities

• Ensure product design meets regulatory and company requirements.
• Manage integration of technical activities for product certification.
• Provide leadership and direction to Technical Authorities.

Skills

Engineering principles and concepts

Combat System engineering functions

Legal and regulatory knowledge

STEM qualification or equivalent experience

Engineering chartership

Job description

Job Title: Assistant Chief Engineer – SSNA Combat System

Location: Weymouth, Barrow-in-Furness, Frimley, Filton or Broad Oak. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role

Salary: Competitive

What you’ll be doing

• Ensure that the design of products is safe and meets contractual, legal and regulatory requirements, company standards and environmental requirements
• Ensure the quality and fitness for purpose of product designs, with appropriate trade-off between performance, affordability, predictability and supportability
• Manage the integration of technical and engineering activities across projects in support of product certification
• Oversee the activities of subsidiary Chief Engineers/Technical Authorities, to ensure product certification and release at the required standard, to schedule
• Ensuring that records of all significant product design decisions are retained, including a record of the relevant Chief Engineers/Technical Authorities involved
• Provide technical and functional leadership and direction to Technical Authorities
• Approve engineering resource and engineering facility demands for projects
• Support the wider Engineering community, through involvement in developing policy and standardised processes, shaping and sharing good practice
• Engage with programme and engineering delivery teams as part of the stakeholder group delivering capability, equipment and design effort to SSNA

Your skills and experiences

• You will need to have a broad and comprehensive knowledge of engineering principles and concepts, systems theories and practices
• Good knowledge and experience of Combat System engineering functions or other similar complex systems
• A comprehensive understanding of the legal and regulatory environment into which company products operate and function
• Be degree qualified within a relevant STEM subject or hold the equivalent experience
• Hold an Engineering chartership

Benefits

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The SSNA – Integrated Combat Systems team

The SSNA programme within Maritime Submarines are proud to announce this fantastic opportunity within the team. This is a really exciting time for you to be a part of one of the UK’s latest and most complex Submarine design programmes to date and ensure that the overall Combat System meets platform and capability needs, via it’s Tactical Information Management function. It is a multi national programme and will offer the chance to travel within the role. We offer relocation support packages across all Submarines roles, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 22nd January 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.