Principal Product Security Engineer

Leonardo UK Ltd; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Online courses

Refer a friend

Flexible benefits

Hybrid working

Job summary

Leonardo UK Ltd is seeking a Principal Security Engineer to secure next‑gen defence protection systems across the product lifecycle. You will define security requirements and guide cross‑functional teams to embed security by design.

You will bring experience with ISO27001/27004/27005 and NIST RMF, and you will work within a hybrid setup in the UK, contributing to resilient, compliant security solutions for national defence programmes.

Qualifications

• Experience with ISO27001/27004/27005 and NIST RMF frameworks.
• Experience supporting security risk management for highly regulated products (aerospace, nuclear, etc.).
• Understanding of engineering development lifecycles and Product Security alignment.
• Ability to interpret Penetration Test Reports and support remediation.
• Awareness of UK Government Assurance Processes.

Responsibilities

• Defining and managing product security requirements with guidance to project teams.
• Developing and implementing security processes, tools and protocols.
• Producing and maintaining security artefacts (Risk Assessments, Threat Analyses, Remediation Plans).
• Driving security assurance across the full product lifecycle.
• Supporting continuous improvement of security engineering capabilities and processes.
• Collaborating with security specialists and leadership to deliver risk management.

Skills

ISO27001/27004/27005

NIST RMF

Security risk management

Penetration test interpretation

Security assurance

Tools

Risk Assessments

Threat Analyses

Job description

Job Description: Your Impact Would you like the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most progressive defence programmes, influencing the security of ground-breaking technologies that will help protect national security for years to come? In return, you'll join a collaborative team of experts committed to technical excellence and continuous advancement. Our Integrated Sensors and Protection Systems (ISP) Design Integrity team is looking for a Principal Security Engineer to secure the next generation of defence protection systems. Working closely with engineering specialists, you'll ensure that security is embedded throughout the product lifecycle, helping to develop resilient, compliant and threat-resistant solutions that protect our customers and their missions.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Defining and managing product security requirements, providing expert guidance to integrated project teams on security standards, methodologies and best practice.
• Developing and implementing security processes, tools and protocols that enable our technologies to stay ahead of evolving threats.
• Producing and maintaining key security artefacts, including Risk Assessments, Threat Analyses and Remediation Action Plans.
• Driving security assurance activities throughout the full product lifecycle, ensuring solutions are secure by design, compliant and operationally resilient.
• Supporting the continuous improvement of security engineering capability, processes and ways of working across the business.
• Collaborating with security specialists, including Product Cyber Resilience Managers and the Head of Product Security, to deliver effective security assurance and risk management.

What you'll bring:

• Practical experience of ISO27001/27004/27005 and NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF).
• Experience of supporting a security risk management system for highly regulated products based on recognised frameworks such as aerospace, nuclear, automotive, rail or oil and gas.
• Understanding and appreciation of the Engineering development lifecycles and how the Product Security specialism aligns.
• Ability to interpret Penetration Test Reports and support remediation action.
• Awareness of UK Government Assurance Processes.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government's Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we're here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part-time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role. For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location: GB - Southampton Contract Type: Permanent Hybrid Working: Hybrid International, multicultural, innovative, technological: this is Leonardo.

Leonardo always wants to expand its talent pool, here you can find the right opportunity for you!