Principal Data Governance Engineer

leonardocompany; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Flexible working

Job summary

Leonardo UK is seeking a Principal Data Manager to drive governance of critical engineering and programme data across defence programmes. You will lead data management activities, ensuring identification, control, protection, and traceability of information throughout the product lifecycle, while collaborating with engineering, quality and programme teams.

Reporting to the Lead Configuration & Data Manager, you will mentor Data Management Engineers and support audits, with exposure to

Qualifications

• Proven experience in data management within defence, aerospace, or other highly regulated industries.
• Thorough understanding of data lifecycle control, document management, and information governance.
• Experience in creating and working to Data Management Plans and organisational procedures.
• Experience in working with sensitive, classified, or export-controlled data.

Responsibilities

• Deliver data management activities in line with approved Data Management Plans (DMPs).
• Ensure engineering and programme data is correctly identified, structured, version-controlled, approved, and accessible.
• Maintain accurate data status, integrity, and visibility across programme datasets.
• Ensure compliance with organisational governance, contractual requirements, and DMPs.
• Actively lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of programme DMPs.
• Monitor compliance, manage deviations, and provide evidence for audits and reviews.
• Lead integration between data management and configuration management systems.
• Ensure data security, export control, protective marking, and access controls are correctly applied.
• Lead internal, customer, and regulatory audits, including corrective actions.
• Lead data management throughout the full product lifecycle and ensure data completeness, accuracy, and approval status to meet programme milestones.
• Collaborate with engineering, configuration, quality, and programme teams.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to Data Management Engineers.
• Exposure to cryptography.

Skills

Data management

Governance

Data lifecycle

Audits & compliance

Mentoring

Tools

PLM tools

Document management systems

Job description

Leonardo UK is seeking a Principal Data Manager to drive governance of critical engineering and programme data across defence programmes. You will lead data management activities, ensuring identification, control, protection, and traceability of information throughout the product lifecycle, while collaborating with engineering, quality and programme teams.

Reporting to the Lead Configuration & Data Manager, you will mentor Data Management Engineers and support audits, with exposure to