Senior / Principal Electronic Warfare Systems Architect

Holt Recruitment Group; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Holt Recruitment Group seeks a Senior/Principal Electronic Warfare Systems Architect to shape, develop and deliver advanced EW capabilities within a specialised defence technology environment.

You will oversee the full lifecycle from opportunity identification and bids through to defining architectures, leading development and integration, and supporting trials with customers and partners in the UK and internationally, acting as a technical authority and mentoring others.

Qualifications

• Significant professional experience in electronic warfare systems architecture or related leadership role.
• Deep understanding of EW principles, architectures and threat systems.
• Experience leading complex engineering or product development activities.
• Ability to engage with customers, defence organisations and partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across EW proposals, projects and product development.
• Lead definition, development and integration of EW systems and capabilities.
• Work across multidisciplinary teams including RF/electronics, software, signal processing and FPGA.
• Identify risks, opportunities and dependencies, driving engineering solutions.
• Support trials, demonstrations and technical evaluations UK and internationally.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to technical roadmaps.

Skills

EW principles

threat systems

systems architecture

RF/electronics

signal processing

FPGA engineering

stakeholder management

security clearance

Tools

RF/electronics

FPGA

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior / Principal Electronic Warfare Systems Architect to help shape, develop and deliver advanced electronic warfare capabilities within a specialist defence technology environment.

This is a senior technical role suited to an experienced EW professional who combines deep knowledge of electronic warfare and threat systems with broad engineering expertise and a passion for turning emerging technologies into deployable products and solutions.

You will contribute across the full lifecycle, from identifying new opportunities and supporting bids through to defining system architectures, leading technical development and integration, and supporting trials and demonstrations with customers and partners in the UK and internationally.

The role offers the opportunity to influence technical strategy, support capability development and act as a trusted technical authority, working closely with engineering teams, defence stakeholders and industry partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across EW proposals, projects and product development activities.
• Lead the technical definition, development and integration of EW systems and capabilities.
• Work across multidisciplinary teams covering systems architecture, RF and electronics, software, signal processing, FPGA and mechanical engineering.
• Identify technical risks, opportunities and dependencies, driving effective engineering solutions.
• Contribute to the development of technical roadmaps and the future direction of EW capabilities.
• Maintain awareness of advances in EW technology, threat systems and the wider defence landscape.
• Engage with customers, MOD stakeholders, industry partners and technical teams to shape requirements and develop solutions.
• Support trials, demonstrations and technical evaluations across the UK and internationally.
• Act as a senior technical authority, mentoring engineers and helping develop wider organisational expertise.
• Contribute to external technical engagement through industry events, conferences, technical presentations and publications.

Experience & Skills

We are looking for an experienced Electronic Warfare Systems Architect with a strong background in defence technology, systems engineering or product development.

You should bring:

• Significant professional experience in electronic warfare systems architecture or a closely related technical leadership role.
• A deep understanding of EW principles, architectures, threat systems and operational environments.
• Strong technical expertise in at least one of the following areas: systems architecture, RF/electronics, software, signal processing or FPGA engineering.
• Broad multidisciplinary knowledge and an understanding of how these technologies integrate within an operational EW system.
• Experience contributing to technical proposals, bids or new business opportunities.
• A proven ability to lead complex engineering or product development activities, take ownership and deliver technical outcomes.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage with customers, defence organisations and technical partners.
• The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, evolving engineering environment.
• Willingness and eligibility to obtain the necessary security clearances.

Desirable Experience

• Established technical relationships across the MOD, defence industry, technology companies or relevant international communities.
• Experience supporting UK or international trials, demonstrations and operational evaluations.
• Maritime electronic warfare experience.
• Line management experience, with potential to lead a small team of technical leads.

Security Clearance

UK Security Check (UKSC) and UK Eyes Only (UKEO) eligibility are essential.

Candidates must also be willing and eligible to obtain NATO Secret and UK Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.

Existing NATO Secret and/or UK DV clearance would be highly desirable.

Whats on Offer

• A senior technical role with the opportunity to shape advanced EW capabilities.
• Involvement across the full lifecycle, from early-stage concepts and proposals to product development and demonstrations.
• The opportunity to influence technical strategy and capability roadmaps.
• Collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams and key defence stakeholders.
• Opportunities to mentor engineers and potentially lead a small technical team.
• A supportive engineering environment with opportunities for professional development and career progression.

TT