Principal Test Engineer

Leonardo S.p.A.; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time off flexibility (flexi-days)

Employer pension scheme (up to 15%)

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Online courses (Coursera/LinkedIn)

Referral programme

Flexible benefits budget

Job summary

Leonardo UK in Basildon is seeking a Principal Test Engineer to support electro‑optical test equipment and test processes for Precision Guidance products, from development to production. You will contribute to test strategy, system design, and documentation while collaborating with production teams to resolve field issues.

The role is hands‑on with a broad technical scope, requiring experience in optical, thermal, electronic, and software components, plus strong teamwork and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Essential HND or above in system or electrical engineering.
• Experience in electrical test and electro-optics is highly desired.
• Strong problem-solving and teamwork abilities.

Responsibilities

• Define a test strategy and plan for electro-optical systems.
• Define a test system and ensure integration with hardware and software.
• Generate work packages and estimate cost, time, and resources.
• Build, commission and verify new test solutions for production use.
• Perform development testing with environmental stress screening and durability.
• Prepare technical documentation including user instructions.
• Support test systems in production and investigate faults reported from the field.

Skills

Electrical test

Electro-optics

Problem solving

Education

HND or above in EE

Tools

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Job description

Salary: £53, 260 to £71,400 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 world‑leading high‑tech company and one of the key players in Aerospace, Defence and Security. The products developed at Basildon have widespread uses in industrial and civil applications as well as fulfilling many military requirements.

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.

Your impact:

As a Principal Test Engineer, you will support the design, development, and ongoing support of electro‑optical test equipment and test processes for Leonardo’s range of Precision Guidance products – from early development through to production. You will work as part of the test engineering team, contributing to the specification, design, integration, and verification of test solutions. This includes working on a variety of systems incorporating optical, thermal, electronic, and software components. The role is hands‑on and requires a broad technical understanding. You’ll also provide support to production teams and contribute to resolving test‑related issues on existing systems.

Key Responsibilities:

As a Principal Test Engineer at Leonardo, you will have the opportunity to pro‑actively engage in activities such as:

• Interpretation of product test requirements to:
• Define a test strategy and plan
• Define a test system
• Generate work packages and estimate the cost to deliver said plan across multiple functions
• Generation, coordination and execution of work packages, from bid through to project completion, to cost, quality and time, with appropriate level of procedural governance.
• Build, commissioning and verification of new test solutions.
• Development testing of product with an understanding of environmental stress screening and production lifespan.
• Preparation of technical documentation including user instructions.
• Support to test system related issues in production and investigation of root cause of detector faults returned from the field.

Key Skills and Experience required

• Essential HND or above, in system or electrical engineering
• Experience of one or more of the following areas: Electrical test, , Electro-optics. Understanding optoelectronic devices and systems, such as lasers and photodetectors, is highly desired in the field.
• Ability to assimilate and apply technical information to design tasks and to problem solving
• Ability to validate and qualify new mechanical designs under different environmental conditions
• Practical ‘hands on’ laboratory test, diagnostic and measurement experience, including electro‑optical instrumentation
• Demonstrate evidence of good organisation, planning and execution of work
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work closely in a team with other engineering and science disciplines
• Good Communication and customer liaison skills.
• Careful Measurement and analytical skills.

Desirable

• Test Software Experience, LabVIEW, MATLAB or similar
• Experience of soldering surface mount components
• Experience of mechanical design
• Experience of using industry standard ECAD tools
• Understanding of how the operating environment influences the design

Security Clearance

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.

If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location: GB - Basildon

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working: Hybrid International, multicultural, innovative, technological: this is Leonardo.

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.