Senior Systems Engineer Defence (Underwater Systems)

ALTEN Ltd; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence technology company in Manchester is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to support submarine systems on a long-term UK programme. You will lead engineering tasks through the systems lifecycle, ensuring high-quality solutions in a secure environment. Ideal candidates have over 8 years of relevant experience and a degree in engineering or related fields. Join us for a competitive salary and extensive benefits, including private medical insurance and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Private Medical Insurance

Pension Scheme

Cycle-to-work Scheme

Flexible working

Social atmosphere and team gatherings

Qualifications

• 8+ years in systems engineering within regulated sectors.
• Strong command of DOORS and V lifecycle development.
• Understanding of submarine systems and complex architectures.
• Proven ability to work independently and communicate effectively.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver system-level engineering work packages.
• Lead systems design and requirements derivation.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks.
• Define validation and verification strategies.

Skills

Systems engineering

DOORS

Risk mitigation

Requirements management

Complex defence architectures

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering or related field

Master’s degree in technical discipline

Job description

Job Description

Play a key role in shaping the future of underwater defence technology. ALTEN is seeking experienced Systems Engineers to support the development of mission-critical submarine systems on a long-term UK defence programme. Working on a complex multi-domain architecture, you\'ll take ownership across the entire systems engineering lifecycle — from understanding end-user needs through to solution design, integration and validation. This is an opportunity to deliver impactful engineering in a secure, high-integrity environment, where your expertise directly supports national defence capability.

Location: Manchester (Hybrid – 2/3 days per week on site)
Clearance Required: SC Cleared/Clearable
Experience Level: Senior (8+ years)

Key Responsibilities

• Own and deliver system-level engineering work packages across the entire V-Model lifecycle.
• Lead and contribute to systems design, architecture development, and requirements derivation.
• Apply systems thinking to identify and mitigate technical risks, dependencies, and system interfaces.
• Analyse and interpret User Requirements Documents (URDs), create and manage baselines.
• Define and execute validation and verification strategies for complex hardware/software systems.
• Collaborate within project teams to produce high-quality artefacts, from concepts to test readiness.

Qualifications

Skills & Experience Required:

• 8+ years in systems engineering within defence, maritime, or similarly regulated sectors.
• Strong command of DOORS, system requirements management, and V lifecycle development.
• Understanding of submarine systems, complex defence architectures, or systems-of-systems.
• Familiarity with system safety, risk mitigation, and change management best practices.
• Proven ability to work independently, manage delivery, and communicate effectively.
• Must hold (or be eligible for) SC Clearance.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree (minimum) in a relevant field such as Systems Engineering, Aerospace, Electronics, Mechanical, or Physics.
• A Master’s degree in a related technical discipline is highly desirable.
• Alternatively, a relevant technical background in the UK Armed Forces with applied systems engineering experience is equally valued.

Additional information

Why join us?

We foster a community of dually talented individuals who are both entrepreneurs and technology specialists. Our teams embody the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, enabling us to develop solutions most efficiently.

Our commitment to sustainable growth is unwavering, and we continuously strive for accelerated transformation and continuous improvement. Through ALTEN labs, mentoring programs, internal universities, and more, we are always pushing boundaries and embracing new possibilities.

We offer incredible opportunities to join inspiring projects in the most innovative companies.

We prioritise your career development with personalised support plans tailored to your own aspirations. We\'re here to empower you and help you reach your full potential.

Join our passionate team and start building tomorrow, today!

In short you get:

• A personalised career path and a rewarding management style
• A chance to work on the most exciting engineering projects and technologies along with Premium Customers
• A huge diversity of engineering projects and industries
• A competitive salary
• Private Medical Insurance
• Pension Scheme
• Cycle-to-work Scheme among many additional benefits
• Social atmosphere, regular gatherings, and team buildings
• Flexible way of working (role dependent)