Principal Systems Engineer

Babcock International; Kirkcaldy; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in the UK seeks a Principal Systems Engineer to lead Systems Engineering efforts on complex projects. This hybrid role involves engaging with customers and managing a team of engineers to ensure compliance and successful delivery. Candidates should have a degree in a STEM discipline and significant experience in systems engineering. Excellent benefits and career progression opportunities are offered.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Matched contribution pension scheme

Access to a Digital GP

Employee share scheme

Payment of Professional Fees

Paid leave for reservists

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience leading Systems Engineering activities on complex systems or projects.
• Ability to define and set up SE plans, artefacts, and V&V strategies appropriate to project needs.
• Confident team leader and communicator, with experience mentoring and developing other engineers.

Responsibilities

• Define, plan, and establish Systems Engineering activities and artefacts tailored to project needs.
• Manage and mentor a team of Systems Engineers, providing technical direction and coaching.
• Engage with customers to understand operational needs and capture formal stakeholder requirements.

Skills

Systems Engineering

Leadership

Communication

Education

Degree in a STEM discipline

Job description

Job Title: Principal Systems Engineer

Location: Rosyth, Fife

Compensation: £60,638 - £69,446

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF69758

Lead Complex Defence Programmes – Join Us as a Principal Systems Engineer

At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Systems Engineer at Rosyth, near Dunfermline,

The role

As a Principal Systems Engineer, you’ll have a role that’s out of the ordinary. You will lead the Systems Engineering effort across complex and critical projects within our Marine Sector Engineering business. From bid through to delivery and acceptance, you’ll define strategies, manage resources, and embed best practice across the full lifecycle

This is an opportunity to influence major defence programmes, ensuring compliance and delivering solutions that matter. You’ll join a collaborative team that values innovation and offers clear pathways for career progression.

Day-to-day, you’ll have the following responsibilities:

• Define, plan, and establish Systems Engineering activities and artefacts tailored to project needs.
• Manage and mentor a team of Systems Engineers, providing technical direction and coaching.
• Engage with customers to understand operational needs and capture formal stakeholder requirements.
• Derive and manage system and sub-system requirements, ensuring compliance and traceability throughout the lifecycle.
• Develop and implement acceptance strategies for complex systems, ensuring effective verification and validation.

This role is full time and is a hybrid role with 2 days onsite and 3 days working from home.

Essential experience of the Principal Systems Engineer:

• Demonstrable experience leading Systems Engineering activities on complex systems or projects.
• Ability to define and set up SE plans, artefacts, and V&V strategies appropriate to project needs.
• Confident team leader and communicator, with experience mentoring and developing other engineers.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles.
• Able to engage directly with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders at all levels.

Qualifications for the Principal Systems Engineer:

• Degree qualified in a STEM discipline, or equivalent practical and professional experience.
• Significant experience across multiple phases of the systems engineering lifecycle (e.g., concept, design, integration, acceptance.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually.
• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Babcock International

For over a century Babcock has helped to defend nations, protect communities and build a better world. To continue, we must adapt, advance and be a sustainable business with a shared goal.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [e-mail] with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 09/12/2025

#ARROW-140-MAR-ENG.