EW Systems Architect

Morgan McKinley (South West); Cambridge; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Senior or Principal Electronic Warfare Systems Architect sought to drive architectural leadership in cutting-edge EW capabilities within a premier defence technology company. You will steer solutions across the full lifecycle from initial customer engagement and design to real-world trials, serving as a primary technical authority.

The role rewards technical breadth and the ability to communicate complex threat landscapes to defence stakeholders while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing and architecting Electronic Warfare systems in defence or related domains.
• Ability to bridge high-level concepts to battlefield-ready solutions and act as technical authority.
• Clear understanding of modern threat systems and EW operational frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical direction across EW projects, bids, and product development.
• Lead end-to-end design and integration of EW solutions across RF/hardware, DSP, FPGA, and software domains.
• Define technology strategy in collaboration with product managers and leadership.
• Mentor junior engineers and potentially lead a small engineering team.
• Oversee international and UK-based testing, trials, and live demonstrations with defence partners.
• Represent the business at industry events and contribute to thought leadership.

Skills

EW Architecture

RF/Electronics

DSP

FPGA

Systems Architecture

Embedded Software

Tools

RF Design Tools

Embedded Software Toolchain

Job description

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a seasoned Senior or Principal Electronic Warfare Systems Architect to take a key technical leadership role within a premier defence technology and engineering company.

In this pivotal position, you will drive the evolution of cutting‑edge Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities, bridging the gap between innovative high‑level concepts and battlefield‑ready systems. You will serve as a primary technical authority, steering solutions across the full product lifecycle-from initial customer engagement and solution design to technical execution and real‑world trials.

This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives on technical variety-equally comfortable presenting complex threat landscape analyses to defence stakeholders as they are diving into engineering design details alongside multidisciplinary teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Direction: Spearhead technical architecture across EW projects, bid proposals, and product development initiatives.
• System Integration: Lead the end‑to‑end design and integration of advanced EW solutions across software, RF/hardware, digital signal processing (DSP), FPGA, and systems engineering domains.
• Roadmap & Strategy: Partner with product managers, leadership, and business development teams to define and shape the organization's long‑term technology strategy.
• Mentorship: Function as an internal subject matter expert, guiding junior engineers, fostering technical excellence, and potentially leading a small team of engineering leads.
• Trials & Field Demonstrations: Oversee and support international and UK‑based testing, trials, and live demonstrations alongside defence partners.
• External Representation: Represent the business at industry symposiums, contributing thought leadership to maintain the firm's reputation as a leader in defence technology.

What We Are Looking For

• Proven EW Expertise: Extensive experience designing and architecting Electronic Warfare systems within a defence technology, systems engineering, or product development setting.
• Breadth & Depth: Deep technical knowledge in at least one core domain (RF/Electronics, DSP, FPGA, Systems Architecture, or Embedded Software) paired with a solid grasp of overall system integration.
• Strategic Understanding: In‑depth knowledge of modern threat systems, operational defence contexts, and current EW operational frameworks.
• Bid & Delivery Experience: Track record of driving technical aspects of proposals, winning work, and successfully delivering complex engineering programs.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent communication skills with confidence liaising with military/MOD customers, industrial suppliers, and technical teams.
• Vetting: Ability and willingness to undergo top‑tier UK security vetting (UK DV and NATO Secret clearance).

Desirable Experience

• Prior experience with naval/maritime Electronic Warfare domains.
• An established network across the UK MOD, international defence organizations, or relevant research partners.
• Experience planning or executing domestic and overseas field trials/demonstrations.
• Line management or team leadership background