Principal Systems Engineer - Product Development

ViaSat Inc.; Farnborough; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ViaSat Inc. in the United Kingdom is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to lead the technical definition and delivery of advanced security devices, guiding a cross-disciplinary team of electronics, FPGA, software and mechanical engineers from concept to deployment.

This high-visibility, hands-on role requires owning system architecture, requirements management and lifecycle qualification, while collaborating with project managers and defence customers to ensure the end product meets mission

Qualifications

• 7+ years in defence, aerospace, or space sectors delivering physical electronic/software products.
• A degree-level qualification in Engineering, Electronic Design, Computer Science, Physics, or a relevant technical field.
• Experience delivering complex technical solutions across the systems engineering lifecycle (requirements management, system design, architecture, verification).
• Strong system-level thinking with ability to converse with hardware, software, FPGA and mechanical domains.
• Strong technical documentation skills and ability to negotiate technical requirements with customers.
• Nationality & Security: sole British Nationality and eligibility for UK DV Clearance.

Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Definition: act as the technical authority for product features, system behavior and inter-disciplinary design trade-offs.
• Requirements Engineering: lead elicitation, structuring and management of requirements using IBM DOORS across engineering disciplines.
• Engineering Leadership: guide the development team through the product lifecycle and drive risk resolution.
• Lifecycle & Qualification: oversee verification, validation and environmental qualification from concept to customer acceptance.
• Bids & Estimates: produce robust engineering estimates for bid activities.
• Customer Discussions: interface with defence customers to clarify or modify requirements.

Skills

System-level thinking

Technical documentation

Requirements management

Engineering leadership

Education

Engineering/electronic design/CS/physics degree

Tools

SysML

UML

IBM DOORS

Job description

About us

At Viasat, the work you do helps people stay connected in ways that matter, from everyday moments to critical missions across air, land, sea, and space.

We’re a place for people who are curious, bold, and motivated by meaningful work. Here, you'll have the opportunity to make an impact, explore new possibilities, and grow your career in ways that align with your interests and goals. When you're ready to take on something new, you'll find leaders who support your development and help you turn your ambition into action.

What you’ll do

Viasat UK has transformed the market for assured Data at Rest solutions and is rapidly growing its business. Viasat UK is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to lead the technical definition and delivery of our advanced security devices and work across multiple Information Assurance development projects.

Are you an exceptional Senior Systems Engineer ready to step up into a Principal role? Or a highly technical Electronics/Software Engineer looking to claim full architectural ownership of a physical product line? This is a high-visibility, hands-on role where you will define product features, architect end-to-end solutions, and serve as the Technical Lead on key projects. You will work side-by-side with our Technical Project Managers to guide a skilled team of electronics, FPGA, software, and mechanical engineers from concept to deployment.

The day-to-day

• System Architecture & Definition: Act as the technical authority for product features, system behavior, and inter-disciplinary design trade-offs.
• Requirements Engineering: Lead the elicitation, structuring, and management of technical requirements using tools like IBM DOORS across all engineering disciplines.
• Engineering Leadership: Guide the development team throughout the product lifecycle, spotting technical risks early, investigating root causes, and driving them to resolution.
• Lifecycle & Qualification: Oversee full product verification, validation, and complex environmental qualification processes from concept to customer acceptance.
• Bids & Estimates: Support the commercial team by producing robust engineering estimates for competitive bid activities.
• Customer Discussions: Interface directly with defence customers to clarify or modify requirements and ensure the developed product satisfies the end need.

What you’ll need

• Background: 7+ years of experience in the defence, aerospace, or space sectors developing physical electronic/software products.
• Education: A degree-level qualification in Engineering, Electronic Design, Computer Science, Physics, or a relevant technical field.
• Experience: Proven track record of delivering complex technical solutions across the systems engineering lifecycle (including requirements management, system design, architecture, and verification).
• Skills: Strong system-level thinking with the ability to easily converse with specialists across hardware, software, FPGA, and mechanical domains.
• Communication: Strong technical documentation skills and the confidence to negotiate technical requirements directly with customers.
• Nationality & Security: Due to UK eyes-only projects, candidates must hold sole British Nationality and hold, or be eligible to achieve, UK DV Clearance.

What will help you on the job

• Ability to handle complexity, uncertainty, and competing program demands.
• Demonstrable experience of problem-solving skills and applying system-level thinking.
• Experience using system design languages (e.g., SysML, UML) and techniques (e.g., use case analysis, trade studies).
• Direct experience with defence standards (e.g., DEF STAN, MIL-STD) for environmental and EMC testing.
• Experience estimating engineering hours and writing technical proposals for bid activities.
• Familiarity with the NCSC CAPS assurance process.

#LI-VSAT

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.