Lead Engineering Architect - Defence

JR United Kingdom; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense contractor in Basingstoke is seeking an Engineering Lead to drive automation and engineering best practices across a major defense program. You will guide engineering from conception to deployment, impacting the reliability of critical UK systems. Candidates should have a strong technical background and experience working closely with stakeholders. The role offers a competitive salary of £75,000-£80,000 plus bonuses and generous benefits.

Benefits

15% annual bonus

10% DV clearance bonus

Up to 10% matched pension

26 days annual leave + bank holidays

Private medical, dental & critical illness cover

Tailored development & internal promotion pathways

Qualifications

• Strong technical background (e.g. developer, integrator, or architect).
• Experience working closely with customer stakeholders in delivery programmes.
• Proven advocate for automation, tooling, and efficient engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Guiding engineering across the full delivery lifecycle from idea through to live.
• Enabling automation-first delivery pipelines to drive speed and reliability.
• Supporting multiple Scrum teams with governance, tooling, and standards.

Skills

Technical background

Experience with customer stakeholders

Advocate for automation

Governance awareness

Interpersonal skills

Job description

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Job Views:

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Posted:

04.08.2025

Expiry Date:

18.09.2025

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Job Description:

Are you a hands-on technical leader with a passion for automation, delivery excellence, and engineering governance? This is a unique opportunity to shape high-impact solutions that support national security in a fully cleared environment.

My client is looking for an experienced Engineering Lead to support a major defence programme. Youll work closely with delivery teams, customers, and design authorities to ensure services are engineered the right way from inception through to deployment.

This is a role where your decisions directly impact the safety, security, and reliability of some of the UK's most critical systems. Its ideal for someone with a technical background whos now ready to lead engineering best practices across the delivery lifecycle.

Whats on offer:

15% annual bonus

10% DV clearance bonus

Up to 10% matched pension

26 days annual leave + bank holidays

Private medical, dental & critical illness cover

Tailored development & internal promotion pathways

Are you a hands-on technical leader with a passion for automation, delivery excellence, and engineering governance? This is a unique opportunity to shape high-impact solutions that support national security in a fully cleared environment.

My client is looking for an experienced Engineering Lead to support a major defence programme. Youll work closely with delivery teams, customers, and design authorities to ensure services are engineered the right way from inception through to deployment.

This is a role where your decisions directly impact the safety, security, and reliability of some of the UK's most critical systems. Its ideal for someone with a technical background whos now ready to lead engineering best practices across the delivery lifecycle.

Whats on offer:

• Salary: £75,000£80,000 base

• 15% annual bonus

• 10% DV clearance bonus

• £6,000 car allowance

• Up to 10% matched pension

• 26 days annual leave + bank holidays

• Private medical, dental & critical illness cover

• Mental health & well-being support + virtual GP

• Tailored development & internal promotion pathways

What you'll be doing:

• Guiding engineering across the full delivery lifecycle from idea through to live

• Enabling automation-first delivery pipelines to drive speed and reliability

• Supporting multiple Scrum teams with governance, tooling, and standards

• Acting as a key member of the customer-facing Design Authority

• Driving a culture of engineering excellence and doing things the right way

What youll need:

• A strong technical background (e.g. developer, integrator, or architect)

• Experience working closely with customer stakeholders in delivery programmes

• Proven advocate for automation, tooling, and efficient engineering practices

• Governance awareness knowing how to right-size control vs agility

• Flexibility to contribute across design, implementation, and governance

• Strong interpersonal skills to drive adoption of best practices across teams

Please note: This role requires eligibility for DV (Developed Vetting) clearance. Candidates must be UK nationals and willing to work on-site full-time in Basingstoke.

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