Principal Systems Design Engineer - Future Products

MBDA; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Pension

Overtime

Flexi Leave

Flexible working

Enhanced parental leave

Facilities

Job summary

MBDA Bolton seeks a Future Products, Principal Systems Design Engineer to define the next generation missiles and transform ambitious concepts into viable technical scopes.

You will lead early-phase systems engineering across functional architecture, requirements orchestration and technical delivery, collaborating with SMEs to ensure competitive, grounded solutions. This hybrid role requires security clearances.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Systems Engineering, especially in early-phase conceptual work.
• Ability to translate customer needs into specifications using structured approaches.
• Strong cross-disciplinary engagement across architecture, aerodynamics, propulsion, guidance and navigation.
• Delivery-focused with leadership and strategic collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Concept Development & Funnelling: Lead the conceptualization process and drive technical down-selection.
• Functional Architecture & Performance: Define functional behaviour and system-level requirements.
• Missile System Capability: Define missile system capabilities to meet operational needs.
• Technical Delivery & Planning: Own milestones and translate goals into detailed plans.
• Requirements Orchestration: Capture customer needs into structured specifications (CPS, SRS, TRS).
• Strategic Collaboration: Align technical strategy with business objectives.

Skills

Systems engineering

Technical leadership

Requirements management

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Tools

MBSE

Job description

Bolton

Define the next generation missile systems; we are looking for forward-thinking Systems Design Principal Engineers, to develop and transform ambitious concepts into the technical blueprints of tomorrow's missile products.

Salary

up to £57,500 depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working

3-to-5 days per week on-site, depending on workload classification

Security Clearance

British Citizen or a Dual-UK national with British citizenship

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team. A minimum of SC clearance is also required for the roles.

What we can offer you:

• Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (based on company performance and will vary year to year)


• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%


• Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime


• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days


• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements


• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments


• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more


• Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more

The Opportunity:

Shape the Future of Missile Systems

As a Future Products, Principal Systems Design Engineer, you will join a technical function dedicated to defining the next generation of missiles/effectors and integrated weapon system capabilities. This role is positioned at the critical intersection of early-phase design and strategic growth, where you will transform high-level concepts into viable technical scopes that ensure long-term success in major national and international programs.

Rather than following a pre-defined path, you will help create the roadmap. You will operate in a high-visibility capacity, providing essential engineering expertise into the Future Business areas (such as Deep Strike, Hypersonics, Tactical Strike, Air Domain, Air Defence, Battlefield and Future Combat Air Systems) to ensure that new opportunities are technically grounded and competitively positioned.

Why this role is compelling:

This position offers the opportunity to lead the technical narrative during the most creative phase of the product lifecycle. You will have the autonomy to explore new functionality and apply cutting-edge Systems Engineering techniques to solve complex problems before they are fully defined. You will act as a key technical integrator, bridging the gap between ambitious customer needs and deliverable engineering plans

Your focus will be on the logical and functional evolution of the system. You will lead activities across the system design spectrum, with examples of your focus areas including:

• Concept Development & Funnelling: Leading the conceptualization process, managing the evaluation of various options, and driving the rigorous "funnelling" process toward technical down-selection.


• Functional Architecture & Performance: Defining the functional behaviour and system-level performance requirements, ensuring the logical architecture supports the overarching mission goals.


• Missile System Capability: Defining the specific capabilities of the missile system to ensure it meets operational needs, focusing on the missile system design.


• Technical Delivery & Planning: Owning the technical milestones for task groups and collaborating with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to translate high-level goals into detailed, deliverable plans of work.


• Requirements Orchestration: Leading the early capture of customer needs and translating them into structured specifications (such as CPS, SRS, and TRS) using industry-standard approaches & tools.


• Strategic Collaboration: Engaging with stakeholders at all levels to align technical strategy with business objectives

If you are a Systems Engineering professional who enjoys the challenge of early-phase design and possesses the drive to steer the technical direction of future missile systems, this is an exceptional opportunity to make a lasting impact

What we're looking for from you:

• Extensive experience in Systems Engineering, especially desirable if within early-phase conceptual work.


• Experience with developing and applying requirements, ideally including familiarity with approaches and tools to capture and translate customer needs into specifications.


• Ability to engage at a technical level across multiple disciplines (Physical Architecture, Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Guidance Control & Navigation, etc)


• Comfortable with occasional engaging into Sales and Business Development & Strategy to understand wider objectives and direction


• Comfortable working with ambiguity and in uncertainty


• Delivery-focused with positive and enthusiastic outlook


• Highly Desirable: experience in technical project management and competitive bidding.


• Highly Desirable: Team and Technical Leadership skills


• Desirable: Proven ability to develop Functional Architectures and system-level performance requirements.


• Desirable: Awareness of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.