Project Engineering Manager

Leonardo; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Online learning

Bonus scheme

Hybrid working

Job summary

Leonardo UK Basildon is seeking a Project Engineering Manager to lead engineering work packages across complex programmes, ensuring cost, schedule, and technical performance alignment. You will coordinate multi-disciplinary teams and act as the primary interface between engineering, programme management, and the customer.

You will drive design reviews, integration activities, and V&V planning, while managing resources, risks, and reporting to leadership.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in an engineering delivery or project engineering role within complex systems programmes.
• Strong understanding of engineering lifecycle processes (requirements, design, integration, V&V).
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary engineering teams.
• Demonstrable ability to manage delivery to cost, schedule, and quality targets.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of engineering activities across projects or work packages.
• Ensure engineering outputs meet cost, schedule, and technical performance targets.
• Manage day-to-day engineering delivery risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Provide clear and timely reporting of engineering status to Programme and Engineering leadership.
• Act as the focal point for engineering delivery within the IPT, ensuring alignment with Programme plans and Customer requirements.
• Support design reviews, integration activities, and verification & validation planning.

Skills

Engineering delivery

Engineering lifecycle

Multi-disciplinary teams

Delivery to cost/schedule/quality

Stakeholder management

Job description

Job Description

Your Impact

As a Project Engineering Manager (PEM) within the Precision Guidance Integrated Project Team (IPT), you will be responsible for the delivery of engineering work packages across complex programmes, ensuring alignment with programme objectives for cost, schedule, and technical performance.

You will operate at the heart of the IPT, coordinating multi-disciplinary engineering teams acting as the key interface between engineering, programme management, and the customer, ensuring solutions are delivered to the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Delivery & Performance

• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of engineering activities across assigned projects or work packages


• Ensure engineering outputs meet cost, schedule, and technical performance targets


• Manage day-to-day engineering delivery risks, issues, and dependencies


• Provide clear and timely reporting of engineering status to Programme and Engineering leadership

Technical & Programme Integration

• Act as the focal point for engineering delivery within the IPT, ensuring alignment with Programme plans and Customer requirements


• Support design reviews, integration activities, and verification & validation planning


• Ensure engineering solutions are robust, supportable, and fit for purpose

Resource & Workload Management

• Define and manage engineering resource requirements across disciplines


• Work with functional managers to secure appropriate capability and capacity


• Monitor utilisation and adjust plans to respond to programme priorities


• Line-manage a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, playing an active role in their career development.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Collaborate with:
  
  
  
  • Project Engineering Leads
  
  
  • Programme Managers
  
  
  • Functional Engineering Leads
  
  
  • Head of Engineering Projects
  
  
  
  


• Build strong working relationships to enable effective delivery


• Provide a clear engineering interface to the customer where required

Continuous Improvement

• Drive improvements in:
  
  
  
  • Engineering planning and estimation
  
  
  • Delivery efficiency
  
  
  • Ways of working within the IPT
  
  
  
  


• Promote adoption of modern engineering practices (e.g. Digital Engineering, MBSE where applicable)

Accountabilities

• Delivery of engineering scope to agreed cost, schedule, and performance baselines


• Accuracy and quality of engineering plans and reporting


• Effective management of engineering risks and issues


• Effective team leadership


• Successful execution of engineering lifecycle milestones

Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Proven experience in an engineering delivery or project engineering role within complex systems programmes


• Strong understanding of engineering lifecycle processes (requirements, design, integration, V&V)


• Experience working within multi-disciplinary engineering teams


• Demonstrable ability to manage delivery to cost, schedule, and quality targets


• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills

Desirable

• Experience within defence and aerospace


• Knowledge of Precision Guidance systems, sensors, or control systems


• Understanding of safety-critical or regulated environments

Key Behaviours

• Delivery-focused with strong ownership mindset


• Structured and proactive in problem-solving


• Collaborative and team-oriented


• Credible and confident when engaging with technical specialists


• Adaptable and resilient in a complex programme environment

Measures of Success

• Engineering milestones delivered on time and within budget


• Technical deliverables meet defined requirements and quality standards


• Risks and issues proactively managed and mitigated


• Positive feedback from programme leadership and stakeholders


• Continuous improvement in team delivery performance

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 - Basildon

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working: Hybrid