Principal Systems Engineer – Project Engineer, Helicopters

QinetiQ comprises teams of dedicated people; experts in defence, aerospace, security and related markets. We draw on our extensive technical knowledge and intellectual property to provide the know-how and support to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. Our people make the critical difference to customers by providing unique approaches to problem solving. Why don’t you join some of the world’s finest scientific and technical minds and help us make tomorrow work today? Job description/Person specification Within Systems Engineering we are looking for a Principal Systems Engineer to fulfil the role of a Project Engineer within the Helicopters Portfolio, with excellent leadership skills and who is willing to work in a team environment, both civilian and military. The location of the role will be predominantly Yeovil working with our DE&S Customers and industry partner organisations from the Leonardo site with some travel as required to MOD Boscombe Down; the ability and willingness to travel to other locations in the UK and abroad for detached duties may also be necessary. As a Project Engineer you will operate at platform level and be the overarching technical lead for projects, accountable for the technical solution, its quality and assurance and delivery to schedule. You will co-ordinate activities between the various disciplines, working in partnership with the Project Managers to ensure a consistent approach to the creation and delivery of our products and advice. Typically you will have responsibility for the technical management of all activities on projects relating to a specific air platform or capability, and as such you are the technical point of contact for our Customers, whether they be DE&S, military or commercial. You will engage with our Customers at a strategic level to understand their future aspirations with respect to capability, elicit and understand their requirements, and manage the process of analysis and decomposition of the requirements. You will also provide significant technical support to the Sales and Bid teams to develop robust technical solutions. Key Accountabilities: • Be the overall QinetiQ Merlin technical lead and point of contact; • Day-to-day leadership and management of engineering and technical teams to deliver integrated engineering outputs that meet the customer’s requirements, to contracted time, cost and quality; • Ensuring that Systems Engineering gains and retains a ‘world class’ standard through continuous improvement; • Collaboration with Resource Management as required to assign relevant technical work tasks to suitably qualified and experienced personnel; • Effective capture and analysis of Customer requirements; • Creation and delivery of innovative and agile integrated solutions; • Co-ordinating bids and estimates; generating technical solutions with an associated work breakdown structure to support project cost plans and bids; • Ensuring the production of appropriate engineering plans and adherence to governance throughout the engineering project lifecycle; • Identifying project technical risks and mitigations working with the Project Manager with their management and control; • Assuring the quality of engineering integrated outputs (work of all employees, contractors, and military SMEs) in accordance with authorised Technical Delivery Plans; • Compliance with Operating Framework business processes and engineering governance; • Mentoring of other Systems Engineering staff and activities as required. Essential: • A strong aviation background with recent Merlin experience; • HNC/HND/Degree in a relevant subject, or other qualifications with suitable experience; • At least 3 years of recent experience of delivering multi-disciplinary complex solutions; • Knowledge and understanding of a Systems Engineering V-Model approach; • A good knowledge of UK Military Aviation Authority regulatory publications, certification, Release to Service, and UK military trials activities and processes. Desirable: • Chartered/Incorporated Engineer Status or the willingness to undertake the application for registration; • Experience of aviation trials; • Experience in the identification of hazards and subsequent risk assessment, combined with the ability to clearly articulate these in