Principal System Engineer

Job description

Principal Systems Engineer – Defence.

Requires SC Clearance to start and DV eligibility.

Location - Berkshire 5 days per week.

Salary – Competitive DoE.

We’re supporting a leading organisation operating at the forefront of defence and secure systems engineering, looking to appoint an experienced Principal Systems Engineer to take a key leadership role across complex, high-impact programmes.

This is an opportunity to work on mission-critical systems in a security-sensitive environment, providing technical leadership across the full systems lifecycle while guiding multidisciplinary engineering teams.

The Role

• Lead the development, integration and delivery of complex systems across the full lifecycle

• Provide technical oversight and assurance, ensuring solutions meet stakeholder, safety and security requirements

• Manage and mentor multidisciplinary engineering teams

• Own and review requirements, architecture and technical documentation

• Ensure compliance with relevant industry and engineering standards

Essential Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in systems engineering across the full lifecycle

• Strong working knowledge of requirements management and modelling tools (e.g. DOORS, UML, SysML, Enterprise Architect)

• Proven ability to produce and review high-quality technical documentation

• Demonstrable leadership and team management experience

• Familiarity with industry standards such as ISO 15288, IEEE and IEC

Desirable

• INCOSE certification (ASEP / CSEP)

• Background in defence, aerospace or other safety- or security-critical sectors

• Knowledge of security frameworks and standards, including NCSC requirements

Education & Background

• Degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or a related discipline

• Significant industry experience delivering complex systems, ideally within secure environments

Additional Requirements

• Eligibility for DV security clearance

• Willingness to travel within the UK

• Full UK driving licence

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Maidenhead

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

15-02-2026

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English