Senior Manager - Cockpit Systems

McLaren Automotive Ltd; Woking; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

McLaren Automotive seeks a senior Systems Engineering leader to direct delivery across Digital Cockpit and Body Systems, setting technical direction and governing the backlog to meet quality, timing and cost targets on all programmes.

As a senior functional leader, you will translate priorities into engineering strategy, work across functions to resolve issues, manage dependencies, and provide robust governance through capable teams, suppliers and effective decision gates.

Qualifications

• Experience leading systems engineering in automotive or high-performance engineering.
• Strong grounding in customer-facing functionality, electrical features and software-driven controls.
• Ability to govern a delivery backlog across multiple stakeholders.
• Degree in engineering or equivalent; knowledge of governance and toolchain strategy.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the systems engineering strategy for Digital Cockpit and Body Systems and align with programme targets.
• Own feature backlog end-to-end: translate priorities into a sequenced delivery plan and governance.
• Build relationships across engineering, programme, platform, attribute and business teams; surface risks.
• Represent the function in tooling and methods groups; drive adoption of scalable practices.
• Resource the team: headcount planning, supplier delivery, capability development and budget control.
• Define and monitor delivery, quality and systems maturity metrics; drive improvements.

Skills

Systems engineering leadership

Vehicle software & electrical systems

Backlog governance

Leadership & budgets

Toolchain strategy

Education

Engineering degree or equivalent

Job description

What to Expect

This role leads the systems engineering delivery across Digital Cockpit and Body Systems, setting the technical direction, governing the delivery backlog, and ensuring features within these domains are delivered to the required quality, timing, and cost targets across all programmes.

Operating as a senior functional leader, the role translates programme and business priorities into clear engineering strategy and delivery plans, working across functions to resolve issues, manage dependencies, and provide robust governance through capable teams, suppliers and effective decision-making.

What You'll Do

• Strategy, Technical Direction & Domain Delivery Define and evolve the systems engineering strategy for Digital Cockpit and Body Systems. Set clear priorities, manage dependencies and technical trade-offs, and ensure features within these domains are delivered to the required quality, timing and commercial targets across all programmes.
• Backlog Governance & Delivery Planning Own the feature backlog end-to-end: translate strategic and programme priorities into a sequenced, resourced delivery plan; govern scope and technical trade-offs; and maintain a credible forward view for senior stakeholders and programme leadership.
• Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership Build trusted relationships across engineering, programme, platform, attribute and business teams. Align priorities, surface risks early, resolve conflicts, and represent the function's position with authority in senior forums and decision gates.
• Tooling, Methods & Ways of Working Represent the function in tooling and methods working groups. Drive adoption of scalable systems engineering practices and toolchains that improve consistency, traceability and delivery efficiency.
• Team Leadership, Resourcing, Suppliers & Budget Structure and resource the team to meet current and future commitments. Own headcount planning, supplier delivery, capability development and budget control, creating an environment of accountability, growth and high performance.
• Performance, Governance & Continuous Improvement Define and monitor delivery, quality and systems maturity metrics. Use data to drive transparent decision-making, hold delivery partners to account, and champion improvements in practice, process and organisational effectiveness.

What You'll Bring

• Extensive experience leading systems engineering delivery in complex automotive or high-performance engineering environments.
• Strong technical grounding, including the integration and delivery execution of customer-facing functionality, electrical features, software-driven controls, and cross-domain vehicle interactions.
• Demonstrated ability to own and govern a delivery backlog across multiple stakeholders with competing priorities.
• Proven senior leadership of teams, budgets, suppliers, capability development and performance frameworks.
• Degree-qualified in engineering (or equivalent); strong command of systems engineering methods, governance and toolchain strategy.

What We'll Do for You

We offer a wide - ranging benefits package, which includes:

• Structured career development framework
• 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
• Enhanced company pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus award
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Life assurance benefit
• Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years’ service
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• Generous parental leave policies
• A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice

Who Are We?

No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks.

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.