Senior Algorithm Engineer

MBDA UK Ltd; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 58,500 - 71,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company Bonus up to 21%

Pension contribution up to 14%

Flexible working arrangements

Enhanced parental leave

Subsidised meals and free parking

Job summary

A leading defense organization in Bristol seeks a Senior Algorithm Engineer to develop advanced aerospace guidance and control systems. In this strategic role, you will collaborate with a skilled team to influence missile design and system analyses, working flexibly in a hybrid environment. Candidates should have significant experience in algorithm design, real-time architecture, and complex system diagnostics. The role offers a competitive salary and various benefits, supporting personal and professional growth.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in aerospace guidance, control, and navigation.
• Ability to express design challenges in clear design requirements.
• Experience diagnosing engineering system abnormalities.
• Strong communication skills for complex ideas.

Responsibilities

• Develop expertise in Guidance & Control design at various levels.
• Influence design and testing of missile Guidance & Control systems.
• Collaborate across national and departmental boundaries.

Skills

Aerospace guidance and control

Algorithm design and implementation

Real-time architecture

Matlab & Simulink

System analysis

Complex systems verification

Job description

The Senior Algorithm Engineer role in GCN (Guidance, Control, and Navigation) is a highly visible, strategic position, working with a highly capable technical team. This role presents a rare opportunity for hands‑on technical involvement, research and strategy steering, without line management duties.

Salary: Up to £65,000, depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working: 5 days per week on-site due to workload classification

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you:

• Company Bonus: Bonus of up to 21% of base salary
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave – enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more...

The opportunity:

As a Senior Algorithm Specialist you will develop your expertise both at a detailed Guidance & Control design level, and up through the higher architectural levels, where you can demonstrate a capability for rigorous system analysis and management of complexity.

You will influence the current and future direction for design and testing of sophisticated missile Guidance & Control (G&C) systems, spanning specialist algorithms, real‑time architecture, and complex equipment including RF & IR seekers, inertial sensors, actuators, propulsion (turbojets, ramjets and thrust‑vectored rockets), and interfaces to surface and air launch platforms.

You will have the opportunity to collaborate widely across departmental, directorate and national boundaries, and to be involved across multiple programmes at various points in their respective lifecycles, from the early research and concept stages through to full‑scale development and guided flight trials.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Theoretical knowledge and extensive experience of aerospace guidance, control and navigation specification, analysis, algorithm design & implementation, real‑time architecture and verification
• Ability to bound the scope of an engineering problem and to express the design challenge in terms of clear unambiguous design requirements/objectives
• Managing complexity by identifying major drivers in a large, inter‑connected engineering system
• Able to cross‑verify complex systems and system models against underlying theory
• Communicating complex or conceptually difficult ideas clearly
• Diagnosing abnormalities in an engineering system both physically and virtually through computer modelling and simulation (Matlab & Simulink)
• Influencing technically when there are other factors driving teams
• A particular interest in applications with control experience, preferably applied flight control, bit this is not essential

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee‑led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity and more...

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

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