Project Chief Engineer

Leonardo UK Ltd; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Hybrid working

Training and development

Job summary

Leonardo S.p.A. in the United Kingdom is seeking a Project Chief Engineer to lead cutting-edge LDEW Beam Director developments within a world-class design and manufacturing environment.

You will provide technical leadership, ensure customer requirements are met, and coordinate engineering development across all lifecycle phases. The role requires experience across multiple engineering domains, strong customer focus, and the ability to chair design reviews and guide technical investigations.

Qualifications

• Experience in technical leadership across all phases of the Engineering lifecycle.
• Extensive experience in more than one engineering domain, with proven customer delivery performance.
• A keen eye for the bigger picture in product development and risk management.
• Very high levels of customer focus and understanding of customer needs beyond written requirements.
• Experience of Chairing or providing SME assessments to Design Reviews.
• Understanding and demonstrated experience of formal problem-solving techniques.
• Proven ability to adapt to changing circumstances and requirements.
• A first-degree STEM qualification or equivalent as recognised by professional accreditation scheme.

Responsibilities

• Ensure customer requirements are defined and fully met, and customer expectations are managed.
• Ensure each design is efficient, producible, safe, robust, and environment-ready.
• Be the primary technical point-of-contact for external customers and Business Winning activities.
• Capture and record rationale and supporting analyses for major design decisions.
• Be accountable for KPI tracking throughout the product lifecycle.
• Be accountable for design review and test strategy quality and coverage.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and safety standards and product certification evidence.
• Resolve technical non-compliances and safety arisings.
• Collaborate with Project Engineering Manager/Leads to resolve technical or programme conflicts.
• Support Capability function to develop roadmaps and IP; mentor engineers.

Skills

Technical leadership

Lifecycle experience

Cross-domain engineering

Customer delivery

Problem solving

Risk management

Design Reviews

Stakeholder management

Education

First-degree STEM qualification

Job description

Your impact Would you like to be leading the development of cutting-edge UK-sovereign LDEW technology and defence products in a world-class design and manufacturing environment? This is a unique opportunity to provide technical leadership and control of the design standards for the LDEW Beam Director product area, ensuring that Engineering development work is co-ordinated, and assisting Project Engineering teams in technical delivery by providing expert advice and guidance. The Advanced Targeting sector is at the forefront of emerging LDEW technology, and the Beam Director product line is strategically critical, underpinning future manufacturing revenue.

What you will do as Project Chief Engineer

• Ensure that customer requirements are properly defined and fully met, and that customer expectations are fully managed.
• Strive to ensure that each design is efficient, produceable, safe, robust, and works in its environment.
• Be the primary technical Point-of-Contact for external customers, Business Winning activities, and other business areas within the company.
• Be responsible for ensuring that the Engineering team captures and records the rationale and supporting analyses for all major design decisions.
• Be accountable for the quality of Key Performance Parameter tracking throughout the product lifecycle.
• Be accountable for Design Review and test strategy quality and coverage.
• Be responsible for ensuring the quality of the product certification evidence, and compliance with regulatory and Safety standards.
• Be responsible for ensuring the resolution/sentencing of technical non-compliances and Safety Arisings.
• Work with the Project Engineering Manager/Leads to resolve technical or programme conflicts.
• Support the Capability function to develop and maintain product & technology road maps, and Intellectual Property.
• Coach and mentor other Engineers, to support their career development.
• Provide SME support to Design Reviews and technical investigations for other AT products.

What you’ll bring

You really must have:

• Experience in technical leadership across all phases of the Engineering lifecycle.
• Extensive experience in more than one engineering domain, with proven customer delivery performance.
• A keen eye for the bigger picture in product development and strong understanding of the product development lifecycle and risk management.
• Very high levels of customer focus and understanding of customer needs over and above written requirements.
• Experience of Chairing or providing SME assessments to Design Reviews.
• Understanding and demonstrated experience of formal problem-solving techniques.
• Proven ability to adapt to changing circumstances and requirements.
• A first-degree STEM qualification or equivalent as recognised by professional accreditation scheme.

It would be great if you had:

• Design Authority experience for products or systems.
• Experience in the design, characterisation and manufacture of Beam Directors.
• Subject Matter Expertise in Laser and/or Electro-Optical systems.

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.

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 - Edinburgh Contract Type: Permanent Hybrid Working: Hybrid International, multicultural, innovative, technological: this is Leonardo.