Principal Control Systems Engineer

Northrop Grumman; Frimley; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in the UK is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer with strong PLC and SCADA expertise to join their team in Frimley. This role involves the design, development, and maintenance of advanced control systems for naval operations. The ideal candidate will possess over 5 years of relevant engineering experience and a degree in Electrical/Electronic engineering. The position offers a hybrid working model, private health care, and career development opportunities.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Private health care

Career development opportunities

Performance bonuses

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a PLC engineering environment.
• Experience in fault-tolerant, high-availability PLC solutions.
• Understanding of testing and commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Design and integration of PLC Control Systems.
• Produce technical documentation as per procedures.
• Manage data communications with third-party equipment.

Skills

PLC experience

SCADA experience

Functional safety

Cybersecurity

Industrial communication protocols

Education

Degree in Electrical/Electronic engineering or equivalent

Tools

Siemens S7-300/400

Profibus

Profinet

EtherNet/IP

Job description

Overview

Are you an experienced Control Systems Engineer, with PLC and SCADA experience, eager to work in a highly regulated defence environment? We are seeking skilled engineers to join our team. This position offers the unique opportunity to design, develop, and maintain cutting‑edge PLC and HCI solutions for our naval platform management systems, deployed on the UK submarine fleet. You will play a critical role in both the development of the product and the continued support in regard to in‑service and through‑life operational capability, supporting mission‑critical naval operations. This role is ideal for engineers familiar with Siemens PLCs and large infrastructure SCADA solutions, with a specific focus on functional safety and product security. Our UK Defence business is a sovereign software and systems centre of excellence. As well as developing and supporting UK‑wide and internationally deployed multi‑domain command and control systems, our work is critical to the modern backbone of the Royal Navy. We pioneer – with fierce curiosity, dedication, and innovation, we seek to solve the world’s most challenging problems.

Key Responsibilities

• Capture, interpret and develop customer requirements
• Produce technical documentation in accordance with company/customer procedures
• Specify, design and test solutions for PLC control systems
• Manage data communications with third‑party equipment
• Develop PLC software from multiple design formats such as Block Diagrams, Flow Charts or Pseudo Code
• Validate software designs through analysis and test
• Support the preparation of contract changes and proposals
• Be aware of and comply with company standards of conduct and all relevant statutory requirements
• Provide input to project meetings and team briefings
• Undertake any other reasonable task as requested
• End‑to‑End involvement: be part of a team responsible for the development of industrial control system (ICS) products, playing a critical role in ensuring the security, performance, and compliance of these cutting‑edge systems.
• Innovative projects: work on the design and delivery of next‑generation infrastructure for naval platforms, contributing to national defence and global security efforts.
• Professional growth: take advantage of opportunities to grow your skills through training, certification, and experience in the defence sector, especially in areas like vulnerability management, asset management, safety and cybersecurity for industrial systems.
• Impactful work: work in a regulated environment with tangible real‑world outcomes, ensuring mission‑critical systems are secure, compliant, and ready for deployment on some of the world’s most advanced naval platforms.

What You'll Be Doing

• Design and integration of large‑scale PLC Control Systems based on Siemens S7‑300/400 (Step 7 Professional Classic)
• Experience of fault‑tolerant, high‑availability and safety integrated PLC solutions
• Experience of industrial communication protocols and networking standards such as Profibus, Profinet, EtherNet/IP, ModBus, TCP/IP, UDP and ASCII
• Production of technical documentation
• SCADA/PLC interfacing and driver configuration
• Software development lifecycles, processes and procedures
• 5 + years in a PLC engineering environment
• Understanding of testing and commissioning
• Degree, HNC, HND or equivalent in Electrical/Electronic engineering or a related discipline (e.g. C&I engineering, systems engineering)
• Experience within defence, maritime (ship’s machinery and control systems), aerospace, or a similarly regulated industrial sector (e.g. oil & gas, pharma or petrochem)

Security Clearance

You must be able to gain and maintain the relevant UK Government security clearance in line with the job role (SC). Our requirement team is on hand to answer any questions and we will guide you through the process.

Position Details

Job Title: Principal Systems Engineer
Location: Frimley
Salary: Negotiable, dependant on experience
Working arrangements: Hybrid and flexible; optional compressed schedule.

Culture & Benefits

At Northrop Grumman UK our mission is to define possible. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options, private health care, career development opportunities, performance bonuses and more. For a comprehensive list of benefits, speak to our recruitment team.

Application

Ready to apply? If you are a seasoned PLC Control Systems Engineer looking to take on the challenges of working in a regulated defence environment and are excited by the prospect of delivering industrial control system solutions to a unique and exciting platform, whilst adhering to best practice regarding cybersecurity, functional safety and product development, we want to hear from you. Submit your application online. Your application will be reviewed by our team and we will be in touch.