Senior System Engineer

JR United Kingdom; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leader in advanced defence and aerospace solutions is seeking a Systems Engineer in Chelmsford. This permanent, full-time position involves supporting the development and sustainment of advanced solutions. The ideal candidate will have a degree in a STEM discipline and proven experience in systems engineering, including leading small teams. The role offers significant career growth potential towards a team leadership position.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading or mentoring small engineering teams (minimum of 2 engineers).
• Strong understanding of the full systems engineering lifecycle from requirements through to certification.
• Familiarity with engineering governance, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Support the System Design Authority and Systems Engineering Team Leads.
• Develop and manage system-level requirements.
• Contribute to bid activities, including proposal preparation and cost/effort estimation.
• Take ownership of complex problems, working independently and collaboratively.

Skills

Problem-solving

Time management

Technical documentation

Systems engineering

Team leadership

Education

Degree in a STEM discipline

Job description

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Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time (37 hours per week)

About the job:

Copello are supporting a leader in advanced defence and aerospace solutions, supporting critical programmes from the nation's only Global Factory for these technologies.

The Opportunity

This role will contribute to the development and sustainment of solutions, providing technical leadership across the full systems engineering lifecycle – from requirements capture and analysis to system design, verification, validation, and qualification.

This is a hands-on role in a highly technical environment, ideal for someone looking to take on increasing responsibility. The role offers a clear path to a future team leadership position for those seeking career growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the System Design Authority and Systems Engineering Team Leads in the:
• Development and management of system-level requirements
• Production of technical documentation (requirements specs, interface documents, design reports)
• System analysis, design, and technical reviews
• Contribute to bid activities, including proposal preparation and cost/effort estimation
• Participate in investigations, studies, and system performance assessments
• Engage with internal stakeholders across engineering, programme management, and manufacturing teams
• Take ownership of complex problems, working both independently and collaboratively to deliver compliant solutions within project timelines
• Proven experience in leading or mentoring small engineering teams (minimum of 2 engineers)
• Strong understanding of the full systems engineering lifecycle from requirements through to certification
• Skilled in creating and managing customer and internal technical documentation
• Familiarity with engineering governance, policies, and procedures, and the ability to guide others in applying them
• Excellent problem-solving and time management skills
• Comfortable working both independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Degree in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)