Chief Engineer, Autonomous Systems

Kaizen Resourcing; Bath; Hybrid; GBP 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaizen Resourcing seeks an experienced Head of Engineering to lead the engineering function for autonomous UAV systems in defence and aerospace. You’ll oversee cross-functional teams spanning systems, software, electronics, mechanical, autonomy/GNC, modelling, integration and test to shape architecture and governance.

You will drive technical direction, recruitment, and capability development while delivering robust, high-performance products in a fast-growing technology business.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in Systems, Aerospace, Electronic, Mechanical, Software Engineering, Robotics or Physics.
• Significant experience in complex multidisciplinary product development.
• Proven leadership of cross-functional engineering teams.
• Experience with autonomous systems, UAVs or robotics.
• Experience in defence/aerospace or safety-critical environments.
• Strong systems engineering: requirements, architecture, interfaces, integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead the multi-disciplinary engineering function and take overall responsibility for engineering delivery.
• Align technical activity with product, programme and business priorities.
• Define and grow the engineering organisation: structure, technical leadership, recruitment and capability.
• Provide technical leadership across the product lifecycle, concept and architecture through development, integration, verification, flight test and productionisation.
• Set technical direction, plans and priorities with your technical leads.
• Manage dependencies and interfaces between disciplines.
• Establish proportionate engineering governance, design reviews and decision-making for a fast-moving scale-up.
• Maintain oversight of architectures, requirements, interfaces, verification strategies and key technical decisions.

Skills

Leadership

Systems engineering

Autonomous systems

Defence/Aerospace

UAVs

Robotics

MBSE

Stakeholder management

Education

Systems/Aerospace Eng

Robotics

Physics

Job description

Kaizen Resourcing seeks an experienced Head of Engineering to lead the engineering function for autonomous UAV systems in defence and aerospace. You’ll oversee cross-functional teams spanning systems, software, electronics, mechanical, autonomy/GNC, modelling, integration and test to shape architecture and governance.

You will drive technical direction, recruitment, and capability development while delivering robust, high-performance products in a fast-growing technology business.