Principal Systems Integration Engineer

Leonardo; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Online courses

Job summary

Leonardo in Southampton is seeking a Principal Naval Platform Integration Engineer for the Land and Naval Communications Team. You will lead integration, verification and acceptance of complex mission systems on naval platforms, coordinating with shipbuilders, suppliers and customers throughout the lifecycle.

You will travel to customer sites and shipyards as required, driving design reviews, test planning and through-life support while ensuring compliance with regulated standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in Systems Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience integrating complex systems in naval, maritime, defence, or other regulated environments.
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles and lifecycle management.
• Experience developing and executing integration and test activities.
• Understanding of configuration management and change control processes.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and implement integration of communications equipment across internal and external systems.
• Develop and manage system integration strategies for naval vessel programmes.
• Support installation planning, design reviews, commissioning, acceptance and risk reviews.
• Ensure traceability of requirements and compliance through design, integration, verification and validation.
• Develop integration, verification, validation and acceptance test plans; support testing.
• Act as technical interface between customers, shipyards, suppliers and internal teams.
• Present installation solutions and integration status; support demonstrations and design reviews.
• Contribute to system upgrades, obsolescence management and through-life engineering.

Skills

Systems thinking

Stakeholder collaboration

Analytical problem solving

Travel to customer sites

Education

Degree in Systems Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Job Description:

Leonardo has an opportunity for a Principal Naval Platform Integration Engineer based at our Southampton site in the Land and Naval Communications Team.

Your Impact

The Naval Platforms Integration Engineer is responsible for the successful integration, verification, and acceptance of complex mission systems, sensors, communications, combat systems, and supporting equipment onto naval platforms.

The engineer will work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams, shipbuilders, equipment suppliers, customers, and end users throughout the system lifecycle, from concept and design through installation, testing, commissioning, and in-service support.

The role requires a candidate who has a collaborative and customer-focused approach, strong attention to detail with a systems-thinking mindset, the ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic project environment, be proactive and solution-oriented attitude, be comfortable working independently and within integrated project teams, have the willingness to travel to customer, shipyard, and test locations as required.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work within the project engineering team and be responsible for:

• Coordinating and implementing the integration of communications equipment for both internal and external communication using wired and wireless technologies at various security levels including compatibility with other systems.
• Development and management of system integration strategies for naval vessel programmes.
• Support equipment installation planning, product design reviews, commissioning, acceptance activities, safety case reviews, risk reviews and risk management processes.
• Support traceability of requirements and compliance assessments through design, integration, verification, and validation activities.
• Develop integration, verification, validation, and acceptance test plans and support acceptance testing.
• Act as a technical interface between customers, shipyards, suppliers, and internal engineering teams.
• Present installation solutions and integration status and support customer demonstrations, design reviews, and acceptance meetings.
• Contribute to system upgrades, capability enhancements, and obsolescence management.
• Support through-life engineering activities, such a fault diagnosis, and customer support requirements.

What you will bring:

Required

• Degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture, or a related discipline.
• Experience integrating complex systems within naval, maritime, aerospace, defence, or other highly regulated environments.
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles and lifecycle management.
• Experience of developing and executing integration and test activities.
• Understanding of configuration management and change control processes.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Experience of writing project documentation such as test procedures, reports, manuals and other integration and installation documents.
• Ability to work independently on defined work packages while collaborating effectively with wider teams.
• A proactive approach and willingness to learn new tools and technologies.
• Ability to work across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience with naval combat systems, sensor systems, communications systems, or electronic warfare systems.
• Knowledge of maritime platform architectures and ship systems.
• Familiarity with NATO, DEF STAN, JSP, or maritime regulatory standards.
• Experience supporting sea trials and operational acceptance activities.
• Knowledge of cyber security considerations for integrated defence systems.
• Risk and Issue Registers

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