Description
Lead Systems Engineer
Location - Farnborough
Security Clearance Level - High 'Developed Vetting' (DV)
The Lead Systems Engineer will play a critical role within a major UK defence IT delivery programme, taking ownership of requirements management, traceability, and the formal acceptance process. The role will act as a key technical and assurance interface between the delivery organisation and the UK Ministry of Defence ensuring that contractual, functional, and non‑functional requirements are fully met, evidenced, and formally accepted.
This position requires a senior engineer with strong systems engineering discipline, experience operating in high‑assurance, regulated environments, and the confidence to engage directly with MOD stakeholders, assurance bodies, and delivery teams.
Requirements Management
Lead the end‑to‑end requirements management lifecycle, from capture and baseline through to verification and acceptance
Ensure requirements are clear, testable, traceable, and aligned to contractual and operational needs
Maintain robust requirements traceability matrices (RTMs) linking requirements to design, implementation, and test evidence
Manage requirements change control in line with programme governance
Acceptance & Assurance
Own and manage the acceptance strategy and acceptance plan for the IT delivery programme
Define and agree acceptance criteria with MOD stakeholders
Coordinate and oversee acceptance activities, ensuring objective evidence is produced and collated
Support formal acceptance events, reviews, and assurance boards
Ensure all acceptance evidence is complete, auditable, and compliant with defence standards
MOD & Stakeholder Engagement
Act as a primary technical interface with UK MOD representatives
Lead technical discussions, reviews, and workshops with MOD stakeholders
Provide clear, defensible positions on requirements compliance and acceptance status
Support responses to MOD queries, assurance findings, and audit activity
Systems Engineering Leadership
Provide technical leadership across systems engineering activities within the programme
Ensure systems engineering practices align with recognised standards (e.g. ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 or equivalent)
Support integration activities across infrastructure, applications, and security domains
Mentor and guide engineers in requirements and acceptance best practice
Documentation & Governance
Produce and maintain high‑quality systems engineering documentation, including:
Requirements specifications
Acceptance plans and reports
Compliance and traceability artefacts
Ensure documentation meets MOD and programme governance standards
Contribute to design reviews, readiness reviews, and assurance milestones
Essential Skills & Experience
Proven experience as a Lead or Senior Systems Engineer within defence or highly regulated IT environments
Strong background in requirements engineering and acceptance management for large‑scale IT systems
Demonstrable experience working directly with the UK MOD or equivalent government bodies
Experience delivering IT systems through formal acceptance and assurance processes
Strong understanding of systems engineering lifecycle and governance
Ability to operate effectively in secure, classified environments
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
Desirable Experience
Experience with defence IT infrastructure, secure networks, or mission‑critical systems
Familiarity with MOD assurance frameworks and delivery governance
Experience supporting formal audits or independent assurance reviews
Personal Attributes
Authoritative and credible when engaging senior stakeholders
Detail‑driven with a strong focus on evidence and compliance
Comfortable operating in complex, high‑pressure delivery environments
Pragmatic, structured, and outcome‑focused
Are you ready to make an impact? Begin your journey of a flourishing and meaningful career, share your CV with us today!
What we do for you:
At Leidos we are PASSIONATE about customer success, UNITED as a team and INSPIRED to make a difference. We offer meaningful and engaging careers, a collaborative culture, and support for your career goals, all while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.
We provide an employment package that attracts, develops and retains only the best in talent. Our reward scheme includes:
Contributory Pension Scheme
Private Medical Insurance
33 days Annual Leave (including public and privilege holidays)
Access to Flexible benefits (including life assurance, health schemes, gym memberships, annual buy and sell holidays and a cycle to work scheme)
Flexi-TIme
Commitment to Diversity:
We welcome applications from every part of the community and are committed to a truly diverse and inclusive culture. We foster a sense of belonging, welcoming all perspectives and contributions, and providing equal access to opportunities and resources for everyone. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages please let us know, and we will respond in a way that best fits your needs.
Who We Are:
Leidos UK & EUROPE – we work to make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology, engineering and science.
Leidos is a growing company delivering innovative technology and solutions focused on safeguarding critical capabilities and transformation in frontline services, our work in the United Kingdom includes addressing some of the most complex problems in defence, healthcare, government, safety and security, and transportation.
What Makes Us Different:
Purpose: you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. We are at the forefront of machine learning, AI, cyber security and solutions. Using your skills in the technology frontline by helping to build a safer world. You can inspire change.
Collaboration: having flexibility to do your job is one of our core benefits, enabling you to become part of our extraordinary team. We have been empowering our people to work flexibly for years. Whether you work from home, the office or on customer sites, we will give you the digital tools and the flexibility to work smarter and align your needs and ours.
People: Leidos empowers people from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills by enabling growth whilst developing. We believe that extraordinary people need opportunities to grow, to be inspired and to inspire others. At Leidos, we invest in technical academies, career rotations and a career development plans that enhance your future.
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
£61,500.00-£78,800.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.
Securing Your Data
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [email protected].
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
