Lead Systems Engineer / Team Lead

Job Title: Lead System Engineer / Team Lead

Location: Rochester; Kent

Flexible and hybrid working arrangements are available, with an office presence required to support collaboration and business delivery

Salary: Up to £65,000 dependent on skills and experience. We are recruiting for a range of technical and team leading positions

Who we are:

Join BAE Systems and you’ll be part of something bigger. As a valued member of our global colleague network, you’ll bring your unique skills and perspectives to help pioneer progress and protect what matters most. You’ll be trusted to play your part in delivering the advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions of tomorrow, shaping a safer future, for all of us.

From the depths of the ocean, to the far reaches of space, there’s no limit to where a career at BAE Systems could take you.

Job Description:

This role focuses on guiding and developing engineers by offering technical direction, supporting wellbeing, and helping shape their career growth. It involves collaborating across teams to identify effective technical solutions, contributing to strategic project decisions, and ensuring initiatives are implemented smoothly.

A key part of the position is understanding project scope, timelines, and resource needs, while regularly advising managers on team capacity and skill requirements. The role also ensures dependencies and facilities are in place for successful delivery, and supports the wider business by preparing bid estimates and maintaining schedules and budgets for ongoing projects.

Core duties:

• Providing guidance to less experienced engineers, supporting team members wellbeing and career development
• Understanding the scope, size and time phasing of packages of work, and using this to facilitate and contribute to project success
• Understanding the team size and skillset required, giving regular status and recommendations on resourcing requirements to the project and functional engineering manager
• Supporting the business by creating new estimates for bids and maintaining the schedule and budget for on-going projects

Essential Skills:

• A degree or equivalent experience in a relevant Scientific/Engineering subject (e.g. Systems Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Aerospace, Physics or Mathematics)
• Experience in the systems engineering domain and product lifecycle
• Familiarity with system engineering tools such as DOORS, Siemens Polarion, Enterprise Architect, CAMEO, MATLAB and/or Simulink
• Experience leading a team and making decisions from either a technical or managerial aspects

The Systems Engineering Team:

The team supports the functional department and projects through work package scope, scheduling, resources and strategy for the project systems domain. Your role will include working with Engineering Project Managers to broadly understand the near-term work planned (3mth – 6mth) and longer term work planned (18mth – 24mth). You will be leading a team of highly capable engineers to deliver against your plans and estimates.

Why BAE Systems?

Here you’ll build a career with purpose and limitless possibilities. With lifelong learning and meaningful work, this is a place where you can grow your career with confidence and be empowered to be your best. You’ll be recognised for your contribution and enjoy rewards tailored to what’s most important to you and your family, support for your financial and personal wellbeing, as well as a balanced lifestyle. In an environment embracing sustainable ways of working and with a strong sense of shared purpose, our supportive culture is a place you can feel you belong and proud of the difference you make.

A place where everyone can thrive:

We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We know that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences strengthens our teams and is vital to the work we do.

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.

Closing Date: 16th November 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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