Lead Systems Engineer

Jobtailor; West of England; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced Senior Technical Lead to oversee Combat Systems programmes. You will act as the senior technical authority within a marine engineering environment, govern delivery, and drive capability development across multiple bids and projects.

You will approve outputs, manage technical risk, ensure compliance with standards and governance, and lead technical reviews and audits. A Chartered Engineer with INCOSE credentials is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant engineering or computing discipline.
• Proven ability in lifecycle requirements definition, architecture, integration, verification and quality.
• Systems engineering requirements definition and management.
• System architecture and trade studies.
• Integration, interfaces, and V&V.
• Technical leadership and mentoring.
• Strong authority in systems/software in safety-critical environments.
• Independent technical challenge, governance and decision-making across programmes.
• Deep understanding of engineering lifecycles.
• Technical review, assurance and audit of outputs and plans.
• Risk, quality, and compliance mindset in regulated environments.
• Technical direction in a matrix environment.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication.
• Coaching and mentoring skills.
• Senior technical leadership or authority experience.
• Experience in safety-critical and regulated environments such as marine, defence, aerospace, nuclear, or rail.
• Proven engineering approvals across projects.
• Technical governance, design reviews, audits, and compliance assessments.
• Leadership of multidisciplinary teams in matrix organisations.
• Develop engineering capability and SQEP coverage.
• Resourceing projects with technical capability.
• Extensive lifecycle experience; system architecture, integration, and V&V.
• Evidence of INCOSE Lead Practitioner level or equivalent.
• Experience aligning with safety cases and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience in safety-critical software or secure/model-based engineering.
• Continual improvement in processes, standards, and tools.
• Chartered Engineer preferred.
• INCOSE CSEP/ESEP-aligned preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for design, integration, and delivery of Combat Systems programmes.
• Serve as senior technical authority in Expleo’s marine engineering environment.
• Govern technical delivery, assure project outcomes, and develop engineering capability.
• Act as primary technical escalation point below Chief Engineer.
• Approve key technical outputs, plans, and estimates across projects and bids.
• Address technical risk, quality, and engineering integrity issues.
• Assure compliance with standards, legislation, and governance.
• Conduct and oversee technical reviews and audits.
• Intervene and stop work where technical risk exists.
• Ensure projects are resourced with SQEP engineers.
• Lead and develop Engineering Team Leads and Team Leads.
• Support appraisals and development planning.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering practices and capability maturity.

Skills

Technical Leadership

Systems Engineering Lifecycle

System Architecture

Integration & Verification

Risk Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Decision-Making

Coaching & Mentoring

Communication

Quality & Governance

Education

Degree in Engineering or Computing

Chartered Engineer

INCOSE CSEP

INCOSE ESEP

Tools

Model-Based Engineering

Job description

• Provide technical leadership for the design, integration, and delivery of Combat Systems programmes


• Act as senior technical authority within Expleo’s marine engineering environment


• Govern technical delivery, assure project outcomes, and develop engineering capability


• Serve as the primary technical escalation point below the Chief Engineer


• Approve key technical outputs, plans, and estimates across projects and bids


• Address technical risk, quality, and engineering integrity issues


• Assure compliance with standards, legislation, and engineering governance


• Conduct and oversee technical reviews and audits


• Intervene and stop work where technical risk exists


• Ensure projects are resourced with appropriately SQEP engineers


• Lead and develop Engineering Team Leads and Team Leads


• Support appraisals and development planning


• Drive continuous improvement in engineering practice and capability maturity

Requirements

• Degree in a relevant engineering or computing discipline


• Strong lifecycle knowledge covering requirements, architecture, integration, verification and validation, and quality


• Systems engineering requirements definition and management


• System architecture and trade studies


• Integration, interfaces, and V&V


• Technical leadership and mentoring


• Strong technical authority in systems or software engineering within complex, safety-critical environments


• Ability to provide independent technical challenge, governance, and decision-making across multiple programmes


• Deep understanding of engineering lifecycles


• Proven capability in technical review, assurance, and audit of engineering outputs and plans


• Strong risk, quality, and compliance mindset in regulated environments


• Ability to set technical direction and influence delivery in a matrix environment


• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication


• Strong coaching and mentoring skills


• Significant experience in senior technical leadership or technical authority roles


• Experience in complex, safety-critical, and regulated environments such as marine, defence, aerospace, nuclear, or rail


• Track record of approving engineering solutions and assuring delivery across multiple projects or programmes


• Experience as a technical escalation point for delivery, quality, and risk issues


• Experience in technical governance, design reviews, audits, and compliance assessments


• Experience leading or influencing multidisciplinary engineering teams in a matrix organisation


• Ability to develop engineering capability, mentor senior engineers, and improve SQEP coverage


• Experience ensuring projects are resourced with appropriate technical capability


• Extensive systems engineering lifecycle experience in complex programmes


• Experience in system architecture definition, integration challenges, and V&V strategy


• Evidence of operating at INCOSE Lead Practitioner level or equivalent


• Experience contributing to or aligning with safety cases, regulatory frameworks, and assurance activities


• Experience in safety-critical software, secure systems, or model-based engineering


• Experience driving continuous improvement in engineering processes, standards, and tools


• Chartered Engineer or equivalent preferred


• INCOSE CSEP (Systems) or ESEP-aligned capability preferred

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong technical leadership in systems engineering, with a focus on lifecycle management, compliance, and risk assessment in complex, safety-critical environments. Proven ability to mentor and develop engineering teams while driving continuous improvement in engineering practices and governance.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Technical Leadership


• Systems Engineering Lifecycle


• Risk Management


• Stakeholder Engagement
  
• Technical Governance

Hard Skills

• Systems Engineering Requirements Definition


• System Architecture


• Integration and Verification


• Technical Review and Assurance


• Quality Management

Soft Skills

• Coaching and Mentoring


• Communication


• Decision-Making


• Stakeholder Engagement

Certifications & Qualifications

• Chartered Engineer


• INCOSE CSEP


• INCOSE ESEP

Industry Keywords

• Safety-Critical Environments


• Marine Engineering


• Defence


• Aerospace


• Nuclear

Tools & Technologies

• Model-Based Engineering


• Engineering Standards


• Compliance Assessments