Chief Product Engineer

Job Description:

Your Impact

A Chief Project Engineer is required to join the Comms and Force Protection business group, covering Naval Systems.

Within the Naval Systems IPT, the projects are diverse and exciting. There is a portfolio of work from core products that have been in service for many years, requiring support alongside forward looking developments, technology demonstrators and research projects. With customer intimacy and close collaboration with other organisations across the industry, we work to achieve a market leading position in products primarily relating to RF, Comms and Networking based domains. The opportunity to be involved as a System Design Authority represents a chance to be at the heart of a range of technologies and exciting projects across the full engineering lifecycle.

In this role, you will support the current Sector Chief Engineer who is the technical leader for the current product range and future product developments. These projects will push the boundaries of innovation, technology, and the ingenuity of our engineering community to provide the required level of performance and capability of our various customers.

The Chief Project Engineer will need to:

• Be able to achieve Systems Design Authority (SDA) status (to deputise for and succeed the current SDA) as delegated by the business as the Company Technical Signatory for the required products.
• Represent, supported by Subject Matter Experts, the company when engaging with customers to define the technical solution
• Ensure independent product assurance through Design Reviews and ensuring company procedures are adhered to
• Be responsible for delivered product design, compliance, safety and integrity.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplined project team in close partnership with key stakeholders.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

• Prestige: Working on cutting edge technology.
• Influence: You will be using your knowledge and experience to support your Sector Chief Engineer in leading the technical solution across the division.
• Team Work: You will work alongside like-minded professional engineers in a highly collaborative environment.
• Personal Development: You will be supported in your continuous professional development through training and mentoring
• Connections: you will be joining a team of around 7,000 people at six major sites across the UK.
• Legacy: We are proud of our rich heritage, reaching back in excess of 100 years. Today we are providing the latest advances in defence electronic systems and you can be a part of the next 100 year legacy.
• Benefits Package: Flexible working hours, Modern open plan working environment, 25 Days Holiday a year + bank holidays + up to 8 additional Flexi Days, Competitive Salary, Free car parking, discounts at high street food and retail outlets, and much more.

What you will do

• Own the technical solution for all phases of the solution development by representing Leonardo with external stakeholders and representing the Line of Business with internal stakeholders to ensure all elements of Product development are considered as part of the integrated solution
• As part of the product integrity delivery team keep up to date on related processes and requirements
• Work closely with development teams and supply chain to ensure that the overall solution meets the End Users need by understanding their Concept of Use and Operation
• Ensure the products are compliant with any performance, legislative and contractual requirements, with a strategy for completing a traceable evidence set in place
• Support the assembly of evidence and stakeholder agreement to the approval of Design Integrity certification.
• Ensure robust quality, performance, cost and time trade-offs are undertaken and then to establish the technical solution coherent with the agreed budgets and timescales
• Chair design reviews on Products, Systems and Services to ensure they are technically sound and compliant with the Company’s approach to lifecycle management
• Provide technical direction, control, evaluation and recommendations with respect to risks and opportunities
• Ensure a high level strategy for requirements matched to traceable evidence is set in place and executed consistently across the products and projects
• Lead and Mentor the technical team to enable a cost effective design programme and product solution results
• Manage and communicate issues and opportunities to the Systems Design Authority
• Define strategic capability improvements and cost initiatives

What we are looking for

You really must have:

• A very strong background in development of complex military products
• Have experience in developing systems solutions particularly within the RF or Comms domains.
• Experience of working with Requirements, Test Qualification and Acceptance
• strategies.
• Experience of managing the Design Standard and associated Configuration Management.
• Experience in gaining Design Certification and Customer Acceptance.
• Have the ability to develop technical solutions, compliant with requirements within agreed programme budgets and timescales.
• Have the ability to produce innovative system solutions.
• Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, to be able to interact with SMEs and End Users of various nationalities regarding a wide range of technical and operational topics.
• Be a self-motivated leader and team player capable of working with minimum direction.

It would be nice if you had:

• Knowledge of use of RF and Comms equipment in the customer domain
• Knowledge of Training Development
• Knowledge of Software Development
• Degree qualified in a relevant Engineering or Scientific discipline (or equivalent)
• Chartered engineer / member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)
• Have substantial analytical and technical problem solving skills.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.

• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.

• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).

• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.

• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.

• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location:

GB - Southampton

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid