Principal Engineer

NP Aerospace, Ltd.; Coventry; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Flexible hours

25 days + bank holidays

Pension plan

Life cover

Health & wellbeing plan

Career development

Innovative environment

Job summary

NP Aerospace, Coventry, is seeking a Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership across Protected Mobility programmes, blending systems engineering with vehicle and armour expertise for defence applications.

You will lead the full engineering lifecycle—from concept through design, integration and testing—while coordinating with suppliers, customers and internal teams to deliver robust, compliant solutions.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status (CEng) with a UK engineering institution is desirable.
• Experience leading engineering development programmes.

Responsibilities

• Provide systems engineering leadership across Protected Mobility programmes.
• Develop specifications and functional architectures from requirements.
• Support design, integration, test and acceptance with suppliers and customers.
• Contribute to design reviews and technical briefings to senior leadership.
• Drive complex technical issues to resolution and foster innovation.

Skills

Systems engineering leadership

Technical leadership

Stakeholder influence

Verbal & written communication

Travel flexibility

Security clearance (SC)

Problem solving

Supplier management

Education

Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer (CEng)

Tools

SysML

Job description

Job Title: Principal Engineer
Location:Coventry, UK
Core Hours:08:00-16:35 (Mon–Thu) 08:00-15:10 (Fri).
Vacancy Type:Full-time, 3-6 month FTC with possible extensions and onsite
Salary:£55,000 - £65,000 per annum (subject to experience) + discretionary bonuses

About the role

At NP Aerospace, we're looking for an experienced Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership across our Protected Mobility programmes.

This is an opportunity to work at the heart of some of our most complex engineering challenges, bringing together systems engineering, vehicle technology and armour expertise to develop solutions for demanding defence applications.

You’ll work across the full engineering lifecycle from concept and requirements through design, integration, testing and into production while providing technical direction to engineering teams, suppliers and customers.

If you’re an experienced systems or vehicle engineer who enjoys solving complex problems, influencing technical decisions and seeing your engineering work translated into real-world military capability, this is a role where you can make a genuine impact.

What you’ll get in return

At NP Aerospace, we know our success comes from our people. That’s why we invest in benefits that support your health, reward your hard work, and help you grow your career:

• Performance rewards – discretionary bonus opportunities
• Flex your day – flexible start and finish times (subject to manager approval and operational needs)
• Time to recharge – 25 days’ holiday + 8 bank holidays, with the option to buy more through our Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Support for Defence – two weeks’ paid leave for Reservists and Cadets, plus paid leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs)
• Future security – competitive pension scheme (9% combined employer/employee contributions
• Peace of mind – life cover at 3x base salary
• Health & wellbeing first – BHSF Cash Healthcare Plan to support everyday health costs
• Grow with us – career development and advancement opportunities within a global business
• Supportive environment – a team culture built on innovation, collaboration, and purpose

What you’ll be doing

You'll provide systems engineering leadership across Protected Mobility programmes, working closely with our Chief Engineer, Programme teams, engineering specialists and customers to develop balanced, technically robust vehicle solutions.

You'll analyse and flow down system and sub-system requirements, develop specifications and functional architectures, and support the implementation of design solutions. You'll also assess competing technologies, identify viable solutions and help shape technical standards and guidelines across the business.

A key part of the role will be working with subcontractors and suppliers throughout design, integration, test and acceptance , ensuring technical requirements are understood and delivered. You'll also contribute to internal and external design reviews and provide clear technical briefings to senior leadership.

You'll work across the complete engineering lifecycle, supporting systems engineering integration and test, manufacturing builds and issue resolution . This is a role where you'll be expected to take ownership, bring people together and drive complex technical issues through to resolution.

You'll also have the opportunity to contribute to innovation and the continued development of NP Aerospace's systems engineering capability.

Our team embraces modern technologies, including AI-assisted tools, to work smarter and deliver better results. Candidates should either have experience using AI tools or demonstrate a willingness to learn and apply them in their role.

What we’re looking for

We're looking for an experienced engineer who can combine strong systems engineering capability with technical leadership, commercial awareness and the confidence to influence customers, suppliers and senior stakeholders.

• Degree qualified in a relevant engineering discipline
• Proven experience leading activities on engineering development programmes
• Proven system design and analysis experience using a SysML tool
• Experience working across the full systems engineering lifecycle
• Proven experience managing subcontractors through design, integration, test and acceptance
• Ability to create and maintain high-quality technical documentation
• Ability to lead or support the development of technical standards and guidelines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills
• Willingness to travel extensively within the UK and potentially overseas
• Ability to hold UK Security Clearance (SC)
• Experience working on large defence systems or protected mobility programmes
• Automotive experience, particularly in:
• Hydraulic systems such as brakes and steering
• Vehicle structures and structural body systems
• Chassis systems including wheel ends, hubs, bearings and ball joints
• Familiarity with Defence Standards, Military Standards and EC Directives
• Appreciation of the Defence Lines of Development (DLODs)
• Chartered Engineer status or membership at CEng level with a UK professional engineering institution such as IET or IMechE

£55,000 - £65,000 per annum (subject to experience) + discretionary bonuses