Systems Engineering Lead - Digital Defence Services

Shareforce; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology consultancy is seeking an experienced Systems Engineering Manager for hybrid work in the UK. The role involves designing resilient systems for operational environments, mentoring teams, and overseeing solution delivery. Candidates should have a strong background in systems engineering, experience in defence settings, and familiarity with modern tools such as Kubernetes and Python. Competitive salary, bonus, and benefits offered.

Benefits

Competitive base salary + bonus

25 days holiday

Pension

Private healthcare

Flexible / hybrid working

Training and certification support

Qualifications

• Strong background in systems and software engineering.
• Experience delivering operationally ready systems in complex environments.
• Experience of building systems in a Naval environment.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain robust system architectures.
• Mentor engineering teams and provide technical direction.
• Oversee build and deployment of operational solutions.

Skills

Systems and software engineering

Architectural leadership

Operationally ready systems

Defence experience

Disconnected environments

MBSE / EA tools

Cloud knowledge

Containerization

Microservices

Python

C/C++

Collaboration skills

Tools

Sparx EA

Cameo

Kubernetes

Job description

Title: Systems Engineering Manager - Digital Defence Services

Location: Hybrid (London / Portsmouth / Bristol - 2 days on site)

Type: Permanent / Full Time

Package: ~£100k - £110k + bonus + benefits

SFIA Level: 5

We're seeking an experienced Systems Engineering Lead to design, guide, and deliver complex systems into operational environments. You'll shape solution architecture, mentor engineering teams, and ensure that systems are resilient, secure, and built to perform in demanding conditions. You'll take end-to-end ownership of system design, integration, and delivery across high-impact digital or defence‑grade programmes.

Key responsibilities

• Architecture & Design: Define and maintain robust, scalable system architectures aligned to mission and security requirements.
• Technical Leadership: Mentor engineering teams, promote best practice, and provide technical direction.
• Integration & Delivery: Oversee build, deployment, and assurance of operational solutions across distributed or disconnected environments.
• Collaboration: Work closely with client architects and delivery teams to co‑design and evolve complex multi‑supplier systems.
• Governance & Assurance: Lead design reviews, manage risk, and uphold engineering standards.
• Innovation: Prototype, test, and validate new approaches that enhance system performance and delivery efficiency.

Skills / Experience Profile

• Strong background in systems and software engineering with hands‑on architectural leadership.
• Experience delivering operationally ready systems in complex or secure environments.
• Defence experience: Experience of building complex systems in a Naval environment.
• Disconnected Environments: Understanding of how systems need to be built and run within a disconnected environment.
• Knowledge of MBSE / EA tools (e.g. Sparx EA, Cameo).
• Understanding of cloud, containerisation, and microservices (e.g. Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with Python, C/C++, and modern integration practices (APIs, data pipelines).
• Proven collaboration skills and the ability to mentor multi‑disciplinary teams.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary + bonus
• 25 days holiday (+ service increase)
• Pension + private healthcare
• Flexible / hybrid working
• Training and certification support