Project Engineering Lead - Supplier Engagement

Leonardo S.p.A.; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexi-hours

Hybrid work

Pension plan

Wellbeing support

Training & development

Referral bonus

Job summary

Leonardo is seeking a Project Engineering Lead to guide a skilled team in the ECRS Mk2 programme, based in Edinburgh or Newcastle. The role focuses on manufacturing readiness, supplier quality, and cross-functional engineering leadership in a high-growth radar domain.

The position offers hybrid working across UK sites, with exposure to front-end design, procurement and manufacturing teams, and the opportunity to influence timely delivery for the UK defence sector.

Qualifications

• Leadership of engineering teams or complex manufacturing
• Experience with supplier quality and manufacturing improvement
• Knowledge of Design for Manufacture/Assembly and industrialisation processes

Responsibilities

• Lead the ECRS Mk2 Supply Chain Improvement Team and drive governance across supplier improvement and manufacturing maturation.
• Develop and implement strategy to improve supplier quality, yield, throughput and lead times.
• Act as engineering interface to suppliers and internal stakeholders for design-for-manufacture improvements.
• Drive root-cause investigations and robust corrective actions across programmes.
• Lead supplier performance reviews focusing on yield, quality, capacity and schedule adherence.
• Provide regular updates to Programme leadership and engineering management.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Supply chain experience

Industrialisation

NPI

Education

Engineering degree

Electronics degree

Physics degree

Job description

Project Engineering Lead (PEL)

Your impact Are you looking for an exciting and challenging opportunity to lead a skilled team in a time of significant growth in an AESA Radar sector, based in either our Edinburgh or Newcastle offices? Leonardo is a global leader in defence electronics and delivers mission-critical systems for situational awareness, electronic warfare and surveillance across land, sea and air. The Radar and Advanced Targeting line of business, based across Edinburgh and Newcastle, is uniquely positioned as one of the world's top manufacturers of radars, lasers and infrared countermeasure systems with a rich heritage in engineering, with 100 years of pioneering development. The Secretary of State for Defence announced the UK European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2 production contract during a visit to Leonardo Edinburgh in January 2026. We have an exciting opportunity to join the ECRS Mk2 programme at an early stage of its lifecycle. Based in either Edinburgh or Newcastle, you will have the opportunity to influence the successful delivery of equipment to the end user.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ECRS Mk2 Supply Chain Improvement Team, providing direction, prioritisation and governance across supplier improvement, manufacturing maturity and industrialisation activities.
• Establish and deliver a strategy for improving supplier quality, yield, throughput, lead time and production readiness.
• Act as the primary engineering interface between Leonardo, strategic suppliers and internal stakeholders advising of improvements to design to aid manufacturing quality, schedule & cost.
• Drive root cause investigations and robust corrective and preventive actions.
• Lead regular supplier performance reviews focused on yield, quality, capacity and schedule adherence.
• Conduct supplier assessments, technical reviews and manufacturing readiness evaluations.
• Provide engineering leadership for manufacturing non-conformities and quality issues.
• Work closely with Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality and Programme teams.
• Drive Design for Manufacture (DfM), Design for Assembly (DfA) and industrialisation best practice.
• Provide regular updates to the Project Engineering Manager, Chief Engineer, Programme Leadership Team and Head of Programmes.

What you’ll bring

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Manufacturing, Electronics, Physics or equivalent technical discipline.
• Experience of leading engineering teams or complex manufacturing, industrialisation, NPI or supply chain work packages.
• Experience working with suppliers to improve quality, delivery and manufacturing capability.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, quality systems and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to identify root causes and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Experience leading supplier reviews, audits or performance improvement activities.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Self-motivated with the ability to provide structure, focus and momentum within a challenging delivery environment.

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.

Benefits

• 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.

Primary Location: GB - Edinburgh Additional Locations: GB - Newcastle 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.

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

Be part of something bigger -