Vacancy Reference: CLA- 423
Position: Full-time
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
Salary: £80,000+ DOE
At Callen-Lenz, we are expanding the limits of what is possible. We specialise in crewed and uncrewed aircraft operations and technology and having recently received investment into the business we are going through a period of rapid growth and development and are looking for key roles to assist with these changes. Callen-Lenz offers innovative and customer-focused UAS solutions through our 4 key business strands: technical services, products, platforms and operational services. We are looking for individuals to help drive forward our expansion, placing you at forefront of UAS development in the UK.
Our Values
Innovation
Integrity
Collaboration
Excellence
Why Work for Us
Based in the heart of rural Wiltshire, close to the Historic city of Salisbury you will join our rapidly growing, friendly and multi-disciplined team, working on a range of diverse and interesting projects, leading the way in this exciting field and witnessing the full lifecycle of our products. The Callen-Lenz team are passionate about what we do, and we are searching for individuals to grow with us as we expand into the aerospace industry.
Our benefits include:
25 days annual leave per year (plus bank holidays)
Buy/Sell holiday policy up to 5 days either way
Pension Scheme via Royal London
Company contributed Share Incentive Plan.
Green Car Scheme
Life assurance scheme (6x basic salary)
Income protection policy (75% of basic salary)
Private Health Insurance via Bupa
Private Dental insurance via Bupa
Enhanced Maternity and paternity
1 Professional membership reimbursed per year
1 paid volunteering day per year
Access to an independent financial advisor year round
Training & development opportunities
About the role
Reporting to the Head of Engineering, you will manage the growth of the Systems Engineering department and champion the use of systems thinking practices across the business. You will be responsible for establishing and maintaining systems engineering principles and tools across delivery teams, and for the pastoral care and career development for the growing department.
Responsibilities
Lead the Systems Engineering department, including:
Lead & Grow the Systems Engineering Department
Guide, or lead where appropriate, the department in their technical duties.
Define, implement, and continuously improve the Systems Engineering processes, tools, templates, and ways of working, aligned to standards where appropriate (such as ARP4754, ISO15288).
Champion a strong engineering culture that promotes systems thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration, professional standards, and safe, compliant ways of working.
Introduce, where appropriate, Model Based Systems Engineering processes and tools.
Build organisational capability through recruitment / headcount growth, training, knowledge transfer, and succession planning to create a Systems Engineering department aligned to business needs.
Lead major technical reviews and assurance activities to ensure performance, safety, and airworthiness of delivered systems.
Support the delivery streams in ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of core Systems Engineering outputs, including requirements baselines, requirements-to-design mapping, product breakdown structures, V&V plans, verification cross-reference matrices, and system test reporting.
Resource Management & Delivery
Allocate and prioritise systems engineers across delivery streams based on programme priorities and project demand signals.
Provide technical oversight to ensure requirements are complete, traceable, testable, and robustly flowed down into subsystem design, integration, test, and acceptance activities.
Balance short-term delivery needs with long-term capability development and sustainability of the function.
Work with Project Managers to forecast resource demand, identify constraints, and resolve conflicts across competing programmes.
Maintain clear visibility of department allocation, utilisation, and skills coverage to ensure effective execution.
Act as escalation point for delivery risks relating to systems engineering artefact or milestone deliverables
People & Team Leadership
Identify capability gaps and drive recruitment, training, and upskilling plans to build a high-performing, future-ready department.
Coach, mentor and develop staff, including goal setting, performance management, and regular 1:1 engagement.
Support career development including structured development plans, and alignment to professional standards (e.g. UK-SPEC).
Foster an inclusive, high-performing department culture with strong engagement, accountability, and collaboration.
Monitor team wellbeing and workload, ensuring sustainable pace and effective pastoral care.
Champion recognition, retention strategies, and succession planning within the function.
Safety, Compliance & Operational Excellence
Champion health, safety, and environmental practices across the department.
Ensure compliance with regulatory, airworthiness, and company standards in all engineering activities.
Promote a strong safety culture, including hazard identification, risk management, and incident learning.
When required or directed, participate in any health and safety training.
Qualifications:
Degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace, or related field.
Demonstrable experience of leading and managing an engineering team.
Skills and Experience
Essential:
Demonstrable experience of technical leadership and engineering line management within aerospace, defence, or a similarly regulated industry.
Proven experience delivering Systems Engineering across the full engineering lifecycle, from concept through manufacturing and in-service to disposal.
Strong expertise in:
- Requirements management and traceability.
- Requirements-to-design mapping and change control.
- Verification & Validation (V&V) planning and execution, including VCRM and test reporting.
Demonstrated experience leading or line managing engineering teams, including performance management, coaching, and workload planning.
Experience operating within a matrix organisation, balancing functional leadership with programme delivery demands.
Strong systems thinking capability, with the ability to decompose complex systems into structured architectures and product breakdowns.
Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with Project Managers, Chief Engineers, other functional managers, and senior leadership.
Strong commitment to safety, quality, and engineering excellence.
Desirable:
Experience in UAV, aerospace, defence, or safety-critical systems development
Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and approaches (e.g. Cameo, UML / SysML)
Knowledge of relevant industry standards (e.g. ARP4754, DO-178/254, DEF STANs, MODAF, ISO/IEC frameworks)
Experience implementing digital engineering environments and toolchains
Exposure to certification, airworthiness, or regulatory compliance processes
Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or actively working towards professional accreditation.
Personal Attributes
Must be a British Citizen or have an existing right to work in the UK.
Capable leader.
Excellent communicator.
Excellent problem-solving ability.
Ability to work well in a team.
Ability to commit to occasional national and international travel.
A full valid UK driving license.
Ability to hold Security Clearance – 5 years residence in the UK.
Callen-Lenz is an equal opportunities employer, committed to building an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. It is essential that the successful candidate must, by the start of their employment have permission to work in the UK. Proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK will be required prior to commencement of employment.
Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.
