Principal Systems Engineer

Job Description:

Salary: £53,500 - £68,000

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.

Your Impact

At Leonardo, we solve real-world engineering challenges, designing and developing mission-critical solutions that power some of the world’s most advanced defence and security systems. Your work will contribute to the Typhoon radar programme which includes the largest single programme delivered from the Edinburgh site.

As a Senior/Principal Systems Engineer, you will join our ECRS Mk2 project within the Typhoon sector. This is a highly demanding area of the business, addressing customer requirements for flexible, high-performance systems capable of performing the role of primary sensor on some of the world's most technically advanced combat aircraft. The team you will be joining is a diverse mix of Systems Engineers, Software Engineers and Technical Specialists who bring together a wealth of experience and expertise to collaborate, innovate, and deliver cutting-edge solutions.

We are recruiting for a Senior/Principal Systems Engineer to join a team undertaking the Functional Development of the Radar, focusing on Radar Resourcing, Task Management and interoperability with the Weapon System using an incremental, domain driven development process. Dependent on your ambitions and skills, we will discuss how the responsibilities below can be tailored to you.

What You’ll do

• Analysis of Customer/Purchaser requirements, identification of System functions to satisfy these requirements
• System Architecture and allocation of functions to Line Replaceable Items (LRIs) utilising Cameo to perform Model Based Systems Engineering
• Authoring of System, LRI and LRI Subdomain requirements and tests to verify these requirements
• Articulation and capture of LRI and LRI Subdomain interfaces
• Consult with Software Engineers to support the implementation of specified functionality
• Analysis of recorded data to identify defects. Articulation of architectural, requirements and test updates to resolve defects and validation of their resolution
• Develop algorithms and associated test vectors to aid the implementation of features

What You’ll bring

You really must have:

• Experience in the design and capture of complex hardware, firmware software interactions
• Self-motivation with a strong aptitude for problem solving and decision-making where design complexity and uncertainty is present
• Ability to work well within an experienced multidisciplinary engineering team
• Experience in writing & managing technical requirements

Desirable Experience:

• Experience, or a strong interest in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) including:
  • Working in accordance with a defined architectural framework (preferably MagicGrid)
  • Use of the Systems Modelling Language (SysML)
  • Writing and managing requirements, maintaining traceability through System & Subsystem design activities using IBM DOORS
• Experience with integration, test, and verification
• A desire to evaluate and improve processes and tools
• Experience of developing algorithms and test vectors in Matlab
• Experience using the Atlassian tool sets (Confluence, Jira and Bitbucket)

What else would help:

• A 2:1 or higher in a relevant engineering or science-based honours degree
• Chartered Engineer status is desirable.
• Experience of the application of the regulatory environment for airborne products, e.g. MAA, EASA.
• Experience of delivering training and awareness courses.
• Experience with any of the following tools: Matlab, Simulink, Siemens Teamcenter, IBM DOORS.

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 your 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 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.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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Primary Location:

GB - Edinburgh

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Onsite