Systems Engineering Team Lead

Holt Executive; Oxford; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

25 days annual leave

Private healthcare

Life insurance

Relocation assistance

Professional development

Cleanroom facilities access

Job summary

Holt Executive is seeking an experienced Systems Engineering Team Lead to drive the technical delivery of complex space spacecraft and systems. You will lead a team of systems engineers from architecture through to integration, verification and delivery, while closely coordinating with project managers, customers and suppliers.

You will shape technical solutions, perform system-level trade-offs and manage requirements, risk and schedules to ensure performance and cost targets are met.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in space systems engineering or a similarly complex engineering environment.
• 2+ years' experience managing or leading systems engineers.
• Strong background in space or complex engineering environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of approximately 6–8 systems engineers, supporting their development, workload and performance.
• Define mission concepts, system requirements, technical objectives and development profiles.
• Lead system-level architecture development and technical trade-off studies.
• Identify key technical drivers relating to system performance, risk, cost and schedule.
• Lead technical discussions and present trade-off analyses to stakeholders.
• Manage requirements, design baselines and configuration/change management.
• Coordinate deliverables, risk mitigation activities and priorities across multidisciplinary teams.
• Support recruitment, interviewing and onboarding of new team members.
• Identify skills gaps and develop development plans for engineers.
• Review and provide technical oversight of engineering outputs.
• Support hands-on systems engineering activities when required.

Skills

Systems engineering

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Requirements management

Trade-off analysis

Risk management

Configuration management

Verification & validation

Space systems

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Systems Engineering Team Lead to join a growing space organisation developing complex spacecraft and advanced space systems.

This is a senior technical leadership position combining systems engineering, technical delivery and people management. You will lead a team of systems engineers while remaining closely involved in the development and maturation of complex space systems, from early architecture and mission definition through to integration, verification and delivery.

Working closely with project managers, customers, suppliers and multidisciplinary engineering teams, you will help shape technical solutions, lead system-level trade-offs and ensure projects remain aligned with performance, cost and schedule requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of approximately 6–8 systems engineers, supporting their development, workload and performance.
• Define mission concepts, system requirements, technical objectives and development profiles based on customer and stakeholder needs.
• Lead system-level architecture development and technical trade-off studies.
• Identify key technical drivers relating to system performance, risk, cost and schedule.
• Lead technical discussions and present trade-off analyses to engineering and project stakeholders.
• Manage requirements, design baselines and configuration/change management throughout the system lifecycle.
• Work closely with project managers, engineering leadership, customers and suppliers to achieve consensus on complex technical issues.
• Coordinate technical deliverables, risk mitigation activities and engineering priorities across multidisciplinary teams.
• Identify technical and resource requirements across current and future projects.
• Support recruitment, interviewing and onboarding of new systems engineering team members.
• Identify skills gaps and develop plans to support the professional development of engineers.
• Review and provide technical oversight of engineering outputs.
• Support the team with hands-on systems engineering activities where required.

About You

We are looking for an experienced systems engineer with a strong background in space or similarly complex engineering environments, who is ready to take the next step into a technical team leadership position.

You should have:

• 5+ years' experience in space systems engineering or a similarly complex engineering environment.
• A good understanding of the key subsystems and functions involved in a typical satellite mission.
• Strong experience with systems requirements definition, derivation and management.
• Experience with system validation, verification and delivery.
• The ability to conduct complex technical and programme‑level trade-offs.
• Experience managing technical risk, scope, budget and schedule constraints.
• Confidence working with engineering simulations and outputs from aerospace engineering tools.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex technical subjects to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• The ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Desirable Experience

• 2+ years' experience managing or leading systems engineers.
• 8+ years' experience in space systems engineering or similarly complex systems.
• Broader knowledge of spacecraft engineering disciplines such as mechanical, thermal, mechanisms or GNC.
• Experience with satellite Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT).
• Experience supporting spacecraft or mission operations.
• Experience working on ESA or other institutional space programmes.
• Experience working across the full spacecraft development lifecycle.

What’s on Offer

• Hybrid working with flexible arrangements around core hours.
• Optional 9/75 working pattern.
• 25 days' annual leave, increasing with service, plus public holidays.
• Private healthcare.
• Life insurance and long-term sick pay.
• Relocation assistance may be available.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• Access to modern engineering and cleanroom facilities.
• Collaborative, international and technically driven working environment.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Systems Engineer or Senior/Lead Systems Engineer looking to combine hands‑on technical engineering with team leadership and strategic responsibility. You will have the opportunity to influence system architecture, develop engineering capability and lead a talented team working on technically challenging space missions from concept through to delivery.

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