Principal Engineer - Systems Engineering

BAE Systems; Barrow-in-Furness; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense contractor in the UK is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to provide expertise on Systems Engineering. The role involves collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, focusing on complex systems for national defense, specifically in submarine design. Essential qualifications include a STEM degree or related experience and knowledge of the engineering lifecycle. The position offers hybrid working arrangements, competitive benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible health and wellbeing benefits

Shopping discounts

Qualifications

• STEM related degree or previous experience within the Automotive/Defence/Telecommunications/Nuclear environment.
• Knowledge of the engineering lifecycle with experience of operating in the concept/design phase.
• Experience working on concept designs or early proof of concept.

Responsibilities

• Provide subject matter expertise to stakeholders on Systems Engineering.
• Collaborate with systems engineers to establish functional capabilities.
• Communicate architectural designs to obtain agreement.

Skills

STEM related degree or previous experience in relevant field

Knowledge of engineering lifecycle

Experience in concept/design phase

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

Knowledge of safety standards

Job description

Job Title: Principal Systems Engineer

Location: Barrow-In-Furness, Filton, Frimley, BroadOak, Faslane. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements - please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: Negotiable dependant on experience

What you’ll be doing

• Provide subject matter expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders on Systems Engineering and Model Based Systems Engineering
• Work in collaboration with other systems engineers and domain experts to establish and agree the functional capabilities of your assigned systems of interest
• Communicate conceptual architectural designs to the appropriate technical authorities to obtain agreement and acceptance
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders such as specialist engineer teams, MoD and industrial partners to communicate and clarify the proposed solution

Your skills and experiences

Essential:

• STEM related degree or previous experience within the Automotive/Defence/Telecommunications/Nuclear environment
• Knowledge of the engineering lifecycle with experience of operating in the concept/design phase and awareness of the entire engineering lifecycle
• Worked on concept/designs or early proof of concept

Desirable:

• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) experience
• Knowledge of recognised safety standards

Benefits

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Systems Engineering team

You will be joining a diverse team of 70 across the wider UK who range in specialities from electrical and electronic engineers all the way to designers and network engineers. You will have the opportunity to work closely with internal stakeholders from other work streams as well as interfacing with the MOD customer and suppliers on a regular basis. This is an exciting opportunity as you will be working on the most complex systems in the world for national defence for First of class submarine design. This is an exciting time to join BAE as the SSNA programme is growing so the potential for growth and development within this programme is great. We offer relocation support packages across all Submarines roles, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc .) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role , to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role . Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

When applying for this role you will be redirected to BAE systems careers site where you will be required to:

• Register an account (this is optional, you can apply as a guest)
• Provide contact information
• Upload your cv
• Complete a short diversity & inclusion questionnaire

When asked source type, please select "job board advertisement" then "the IET / E+T Jobs"

Closing Date: 22nd January 2026