Senior UAV Systems Architect - Hybrid, SC Cleared

MARSS Group; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

MARSS Group is seeking a Lead Systems Engineer in Bristol to drive the development, integration and verification of an advanced Interceptor UAV system. The role is hands-on and non-managerial, spanning air vehicle, avionics, GNC, autonomy, sensors and ground systems.

You will manage requirements, architecture and interfaces, ensuring coherent system performance while working with specialist teams throughout the lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Degree in Systems, Aerospace, Electronic or Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Experience applying Systems Engineering to multidisciplinary products, ideally UAVs or autonomous systems.
• Experience across full V-model lifecycle from requirements to verification and validation.
• Strong experience in requirements capture, decomposition, allocation and traceability.
• Experience developing system architectures and managing subsystem interfaces.
• Understanding of hardware/software integration and testing.
• Experience with V&V including SIL/HIL and flight-test activities.
• Familiarity with MBSE/SysML and tools like DOORS, Jama or Polarion.
• Awareness of safety analyses (FMEA/FMECA) and risk management.
• Experience integrating AI/ML-enabled perception or autonomy is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the project Systems Engineer effort from a blank page onwards.
• Capture, develop and manage system and subsystem requirements.
• Develop and maintain UAV system architecture and functional decomposition.
• Define and manage key hardware, software, electrical and communications interfaces.
• Maintain requirements traceability and support configuration/change control.
• Develop system performance budgets for mass, power, endurance, communications, processing, sensors.
• Conduct system-level trade studies and identify risks and dependencies.
• Support integration of GNC, avionics, sensors, communications, autonomy and payloads.
• Define and support V&V activities across simulation, lab, ground and flight testing.
• Support SIL, HIL and system integration testing.
• Analyze system-level issues and coordinate multidisciplinary resolutions.
• Support design reviews, test readiness and qualification activities.
• Collaborate with Simulation, GNC, Software, Electronics and Flight Test teams to improve UAV performance.
• Support field testing and customer demonstrations; travel may be required.

Skills

MBSE/SysML

DOORS/Jama/Polarion

V-model lifecycle

GNC/sensors/avionics

Hardware/Software integration

MATLAB/Simulink

Risk assessment

Electrical interfaces

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering

Tools

DOORS

Jama

Polarion

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

MARSS Group is seeking a Lead Systems Engineer in Bristol to drive the development, integration and verification of an advanced Interceptor UAV system. The role is hands-on and non-managerial, spanning air vehicle, avionics, GNC, autonomy, sensors and ground systems.

You will manage requirements, architecture and interfaces, ensuring coherent system performance while working with specialist teams throughout the lifecycle.