Lead Engineer

General Dynamics Missions System International; Blackwood; Hybrid; GBP 63,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense technology firm in the UK seeks a Lead Engineer to provide technical leadership to the engineering team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience managing technical delivery across complex integration projects and will work closely with project management to ensure alignment with project objectives. Responsibilities include overseeing engineering work packages, managing risks, and ensuring integration across teams. The role promotes hybrid working, offering flexible benefits, including a compressed workweek.

Benefits

Compressed nine-day fortnight

Personalized career development plan

Flexible working environment

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in technical leadership roles.
• Track record of successful delivery in complex engineering projects.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the engineering team, making technical decisions.
• Provide technical oversight across engineering disciplines.
• Report and manage engineering risks in accordance with the project's Risk Management Plan.

Skills

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

Systems engineering

Risk management

Communication skills

Education

STEM degree

Job description

• Compensation: GBP 63,072 - GBP 85,000 - yearly

Company Description

General Dynamics Mission Systems engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of more than 13,000 top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defence and scientific arenas. In the UK, we are leading the way in avionics and communication systems. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency.

Job Description

The Lead Engineer is responsible for the day-to-day technical leadership of the engineering team, ensuring delivery of engineering work packages in alignment with strategic objectives, cost constraints, schedule commitments, and performance requirements. This role acts as a key technical authority within the project, bridging engineering execution with strategic oversight.

The Lead Engineer will work alongside the Programme Manager who will have overall Programmatic schedule and cost management responsibilities for the Project and will be the Technical customer facing for the programme and will ensure that e scope of the programme is maintained and delivered through all phases of the engineering activities.

• Lead and manage the engineering team, making technical decisions within the bounds of strategy, cost, time, and performance.
• Provide technical oversight and coordination across cross-functional engineering disciplines.
• Own and manage engineering work packages, including tracking progress, resolving dependencies, and ensuring integration across packages.
• Report and manage engineering risks in accordance with the project's Risk Management Plan.
• Prepare and deliver data packs for engineering phase reviews.
• Ensure all entry and exit criteria for engineering phases are met with appropriate content and quality.
• Liaise with the customer technical community to ensure alignment and responsiveness to technical queries.
• Collaborate with the project management community to ensure engineering delivery supports overall project goals.
• Address supplier-related technical issues as they arise, ensuring timely resolution.
• Provide cover and continuity for both the Chief Engineer and Product Lead as required.

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Extensive experience as a technical manager on complex integration projects, with a proven track record of leading cross-functional engineering teams.
• Demonstrated capability in managing technical delivery across multiple large-scale integration programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including customer and supplier engagement.
• Expertise in systems engineering, including requirements management, system architecture, integration, verification, and validation.
• Proficiency in risk management, problem-solving, and technical issue resolution.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across programmes.
• Deep technical understanding of engineering principles, life-cycle management, and compliance with company and customer processes.
• Typically STEM degree qualified.

Required Experience:

• Extensive experience in technical leadership roles
• Track record of successful delivery in complex engineering projects
• Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate cross-functional teams

Additional Information

Salary for this position is £63,072 to £85,000, depending on experience plus our excellent flexible benefits package.

We offer hybrid working - for this role ideally we are looking for an average of 2 days per week per month on site.

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose, offering impressive benefits:

• A compressed nine-day fortnight and compressed hours - which means every other Friday off.
• A personalized career development plan, alongside regular progress reviews - supporting and valuing your progression within the Company.
• A flexible working environment where your contributions are recognized and rewarded with flexible benefits

We believe in maintaining a diverse workplace - inclusive of beliefs, cultural background, job experiences, thoughts and ideas. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we welcome you to join our inclusive team!

Our success is fuelled by our colleagues and the wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills they bring to the Company.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, as such we offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job.
Please email [e-mail] if you would like your application to be considered under the DC Scheme.

All successful/appointed applicants must be able to obtain a level of UK Security clearance that is appropriate for the role and undertake suitable Right to work checks.

Every application matters to us. We want you to know that each application we receive is reviewed by a real person—not just an algorithm. Our screening questions are also carefully considered to help us understand your experience and fit for the role.

We appreciate the time you take to apply.

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