Lead Systems Engineer

Holt Executive
Dorset, United Kingdom
Last month
Seniority
Lead
Posted
2 Apr 2026 (Last month)

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Lead Systems Engineer to take ownership of large-scale, complex engineering projects within a highly regulated aerospace environment.

This role is ideal for a technically strong engineer who can lead multidisciplinary teams, manage system-level delivery, and drive projects across the full engineering lifecycle. You will play a key role in delivering advanced aerospace systems for global customers, ensuring performance, safety, and compliance at every stage.

Key Responsibilities for the Lead Systems Engineer

Provide technical leadership across large projects or multiple smaller programmes

Lead and support Project Engineers, offering guidance and direction

Plan and manage engineering activities, including resource coordination and management plans

Engage directly with customers, ensuring solutions meet expectations and requirements

Lead design reviews and ensure alignment with airworthiness, safety, and regulatory standards

Identify and manage technical risks and opportunities

Oversee the full systems engineering lifecycle (requirements, design, integration, verification, validation, and qualification)

Manage engineering change to maintain system integrity and traceability

Collaborate with engineering leadership and programme teams to ensure effective resourcing and delivery

Support continuous improvement and best practice across engineering processes

Skills & Experience required by the Lead Systems Engineer

Essential:

Significant experience (typically 10+ years) in an engineering role

Strong understanding of the systems engineering lifecycle and design review processes

Experience leading projects and providing technical direction to teams

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage both customers and internal stakeholders

Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset

Experience in technical report writing and documentation

Comfortable presenting technical information at all levelsDesirable:

Degree in a relevant engineering discipline

Experience with project planning and scheduling

Previous engineering sign-off authority

Exposure to aerospace, defence, or other safety-critical environments

Experience in line management or indirect team leadership

What’s on Offer for the Lead Systems Engineer

Competitive salary and benefits package

Opportunity to work on complex, high-impact engineering programmes

Collaborative and dynamic team environment

Ongoing learning and development opportunities

On-site facilities including parking and gym access

Clear opportunities for career progression and internal mobility

Strong focus on employee wellbeing, safety, and long-term development

Please note:

This role involves working with ITAR-controlled technology, and successful applicants may be required to undergo additional screening as part of the recruitment process.

TT

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Satellite Systems Engineer 2343-1

Tatton Recruitment Hilsea, Hampshire, United Kingdom
£55 ph

Satellite Systems Engineer 2343-1

Certain Advantage Hilsea

Electronic Systems Engineer

Matchtech Fareham, United Kingdom

Optical Systems Engineer

SatelliteVu Guildford, United Kingdom
On-site

Spacecraft Systems Engineer

BAE Systems Alton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
£50,000 pa Hybrid Clearance Required

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Space Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Advertising space jobs in the UK requires a different approach to most technical hiring. The candidate pool spans satellite engineers, propulsion specialists, mission analysts, ground segment software developers, space systems architects and commercial space professionals — a highly specific multidisciplinary community that general job boards are poorly equipped to reach. The strongest space candidates are often embedded in ESA programmes, academic research groups, UK Space Agency-funded projects or established primes, and move between roles through sector-specific networks, industry bodies and conference communities rather than mainstream platforms. This guide, published by UKSpaceJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise space industry roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.

Space Jobs UK 2026: What to Expect Over the Next 3 Years

The UK space sector is in the middle of something that feels genuinely historic. A combination of government commitment, private capital, and technological progress has transformed Britain's position in the global space economy from a capable but secondary player into a nation with serious sovereign ambitions — and a jobs market that is expanding to match them. This is not the space industry of previous generations, defined by a small number of government agencies, a handful of prime contractors, and career pathways accessible only to a narrow band of elite engineers and scientists. The new space economy is broader, faster-moving, and more commercially driven than anything the sector has previously seen. Satellite manufacturing has been democratised by small sat technology. Launch is becoming domestic. Space data is flowing into applications across agriculture, insurance, climate monitoring, maritime, and defence at a scale that is creating entirely new categories of commercial hiring. And the defence and national security dimensions of space have elevated the sector's strategic importance to a degree that is driving sustained public investment in the talent pipeline. For job seekers, the UK space jobs market of 2026 represents an opportunity that is both more accessible and more technically demanding than at any previous point. The candidates who will thrive over the next three years are those who understand where the sector is heading — which programmes are moving from development into operation, which technologies are defining the architecture of modern space systems, and how the definition of a space career is expanding well beyond the spacecraft engineering core toward a much wider ecosystem of roles across the full space value chain. This article breaks down what the UK space jobs market is likely to look like through to 2028 — covering the titles emerging right now, the technologies driving employer demand, the skills that will matter most, and how to position your career at the leading edge of one of the most exciting sectors in the UK economy.

New Space Employers to Watch in 2026: UK and Global Organisations Driving the Future of Space Careers

The space industry is entering a new era of growth, innovation, and commercial opportunity. Satellites, space exploration, Earth observation, space data analytics, launch systems and space infrastructure are all areas seeing rapid expansion, bringing demand for engineers, scientists, operations specialists and software developers. For professionals exploring opportunities on www.UKSpaceJobs.co.uk , identifying employers that are scaling, securing major contracts, attracting investment, or establishing UK operations is vital. This article highlights the most exciting space employers to watch in 2026, including UK space start‑ups, established aerospace organisations with UK teams, and global firms investing in British space talent.