Senior Systems Engineer- Software Systems- Defence

Positiv+ Cohort; Bristol; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence technology firm based in Bristol is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer with a strong focus on software systems. The role involves collaborating with clients to define requirements, managing system architecture, and ensuring compliance throughout the project lifecycle. Applicants should have proven experience in the defence sector, proficiency with engineering tools like DOORS and Rhapsody, and excellent communication skills. Competitive rates are offered, outside IR-35.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in requirements management within the defence industry.
• Demonstrated ability in engineering change control and configuration management.
• Experience conducting trade studies and system development activities.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with defence clients to capture operational needs.
• Develop and manage system requirements with traceability.
• Implement change management processes to ensure compliance.

Skills

Requirements management

Systems engineering tools (DOORS, Rhapsody)

Functional design understanding

Strong communication skills

Engineering change control

Stakeholder management

Tools

DOORS

DOORS NG

Rhapsody

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Systems Engineer with a strong focus on software systems to join our dynamic team in the defence sector. This role is pivotal in shaping complex systems that meet diverse customer needs, ensuring robust requirements management, and driving software development aligned with strategic product line goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Customer Engagement & Requirements Capture: Collaborate with defence clients to understand, elicit, and refine their operational needs and translate them into clear, actionable system and software requirements.
• Requirements Derivation & Flowdown: Develop and manage system, subsystem, and software requirements using industry-standard tools, ensuring traceability and alignment with customer expectations.
• Product Line Strategy Support: Contribute to product line development by informing common architecture and reusable software components that serve multiple customer applications.
• Change Management: Define and implement controlled processes for managing engineering changes, ensuring system integrity and compliance throughout the lifecycle.
• Software Item Ownership: Act as the internal customer for specific software components, guiding their development and integration within the broader system architecture.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in requirements management and derivation, ideally within the defence industry.
• Proficiency with systems engineering tools such as DOORS, DOORS NG, Rhapsody, or similar.
• Strong understanding of functional design and the ability to flow requirements through system, subsystem, and equipment levels.
• Excellent communication skills to translate complex technical concepts into clear, customer-friendly language.
• Demonstrated ability in engineering change control and configuration management.
• Experience initiating and conducting trade studies and system development activities.
• Background in developing complex systems, preferably in a defence or aerospace environment.
• Ability to communicate architectures and technical ideas effectively across all levels of stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills.
• Experience working with product lines and modular system architectures is highly desirable.

Competitive Rates Outside IR-35