Lead Subsea Systems Engineer – Custom Projects

Sonardyne; United Kingdom; On-site; Full time

Job description

From the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on earth, to surging shorelines and anywhere in-between, we make the impossible possible through our continuous passion for innovation.

Our people design, engineer and manufacture technologies that are enabling our customers to discover, navigate, measure, detect and communicate in the toughest environment on earth: Our oceans.We’ve been actively developing the technology to make the oceans accessible for over 50 years and we’re only just getting started…At Sonardyne, we value different ways of thinking. Whether you think in code, patterns, systems, or steps, your unique perspective is important to us.

We are looking for a Systems Engineer to join our Custom Projects team in Blackbushe. This is an opportunity to work on complex, bespoke subsea systems, contributing to innovative projects from early concept through to integration, validation and customer delivery.

Working alongside Project Managers, Project Engineers and multidisciplinary engineering teams, you will provide technical leadership across the full project lifecycle, helping deliver high-performance subsea solutions that meet customer, operational and commercial requirements.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading the technical development and delivery of bespoke subsea systems and instrumentation.
• Providing technical oversight throughout the project lifecycle, from concept development through to system delivery.
• Working closely with customers, sales teams and engineering specialists to define system requirements and identify technical solutions.
• Supporting technical proposals, project schedules, Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) estimates and resource planning activities.
• Defining and overseeing system verification, validation, integration and testing activities across hardware, firmware and software elements.
• Reviewing customer standards and compliance requirements to ensure alignment with technical and commercial objectives.
• Coordinating multidisciplinary engineering activities across software, electronics, mechanical and systems teams.
• Identifying, diagnosing and resolving technical and integration issues at subsystem and system level.
• Preparing and maintaining high-quality technical documentation including specifications, reports, procedures, drawings and test records.
• Managing technical risks and providing regular progress and status reporting to internal and external stakeholders.
• Representing Sonardyne during customer meetings, trials, demonstrations and technical discussions.
• Supporting ongoing customer operations through technical guidance and practical engineering support.

About you

You will be a technically capable engineer with strong systems thinking, excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across complex engineering programmes.

You will ideally have experience in:

• Engineering design, systems engineering or project/product implementation.
• Working directly with customers and stakeholders in technical environments.
• Problem‑solving, fault‑finding and technical investigations.
• Software development principles and system integration activities.
• Mechanical and/or analogue and digital electronics development.
• Producing structured technical documentation and reports.
• Experience with CAD tools and project/task management platforms such as Jira would also be beneficial.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in an Engineering discipline such as Systems, Electronics, Mechanical, Communications, Software Engineering or similar.

Why join Sonardyne?

At Sonardyne, you’ll work on technically advanced products that support critical offshore operations around the world. You’ll join a collaborative engineering environment where innovation, continuous improvement and technical excellence are valued, and where you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to challenging and rewarding projects across global markets.

This role also offers occasional opportunities for UK and international travel, including customer sites, offshore operations and testing activities at our Plymouth Trails Facility.