Deputy Chief Engineer
The Deputy Chief Engineer – IT and Cyber supports the Chief Engineer in providing technical leadership, engineering governance and delivery assurance across a complex IT, cyber security and secure systems programme.
The role acts as a delegated technical authority, ensuring that solutions are safe, secure, supportable and delivered within agreed quality, cost and schedule constraints. A proportion of the role will include hands-on technical contribution where required, delivering specific technical outputs within agile SAFe delivery teams to support programme outcomes.
Key responsibilities
• Deputise for the Chief Engineer on assigned workstreams, programmes or service areas, providing clear technical direction and decision-making authority where delegated.
• Lead engineering teams and technical leads across IT infrastructure, cyber security, networks, cloud, applications, service operations and secure system integration.
• Own technical delivery assurance, ensuring solutions meet customer requirements, contractual obligations, security standards and operational needs.
• Chair or support technical governance forums, including design reviews, architecture reviews, security reviews and engineering change boards.
• Review and approve technical documentation, designs, risk assessments, test strategies and acceptance evidence.
• Ensure cyber security is embedded throughout the engineering lifecycle, including secure design, vulnerability management, protective monitoring, incident response and risk treatment.
• Identify and manage technical risks, dependencies, assumptions and issues, escalating where necessary with recommended mitigation options.
• Support bids, change proposals and on-contract growth by providing technical input, engineering estimates, solution options and delivery assurance.
• Mentor engineers and technical leads, promoting professional standards, technical excellence, continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
• Work collaboratively with programme, service, commercial, security, architecture and customer stakeholders to balance technical integrity with delivery outcomes.
• Contribute directly to hands-on technical deliverables where needed, working as part of agile SAFe delivery teams to support design, implementation, integration, testing, assurance or issue resolution activities.
Essential skills and capabilities
• Strong technical leadership across complex IT and cyber security environments.
• Practical understanding of systems engineering, solution architecture, secure operations and service transition.
• Knowledge of cyber security principles, including defence-in-depth, secure configuration, identity and access management, network security, vulnerability management and incident response.
• Ability to interpret and apply customer, regulatory, contractual and internal governance requirements.
• Confident communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to senior stakeholders, customers and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong judgement, problem-solving and decision-making skills in technically complex or ambiguous situations.
• Experience managing technical teams, work packages, subcontractors or suppliers.
• Ability to balance engineering rigour with delivery pace, commercial constraints and operational priorities.
• Practical experience contributing to agile delivery teams, including SAFe-aligned planning, backlog refinement, sprint or iteration delivery, reviews and technical problem solving.
Experience and qualifications
• Significant experience in a senior engineering, technical leadership, solution architecture, cyber security or IT delivery role.
• Demonstrable experience delivering complex IT, cyber, infrastructure, cloud, network or secure systems programmes.
• Experience of technical governance, design assurance, engineering lifecycle management and customer acceptance.
• Relevant degree, equivalent professional experience or recognised technical accreditation.
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CEng, CITP, TOGAF, SABSA, ITIL, ISO 27001, NCSC-aligned training or vendor security certifications would be advantageous.
• Experience working in regulated, government, defence, critical national infrastructure or other high-assurance environments would be desirable.
Leadership behaviours
• Acts as a trusted deputy to the Chief Engineer, providing calm, evidence-based leadership.
• Creates clarity for teams by translating strategy, risk and customer needs into practical engineering direction.
• Builds collaborative relationships across engineering, cyber, service, programme and customer communities.
• Challenges constructively to protect technical integrity, security posture and delivery quality.
• Develops others through coaching, mentoring and setting high professional standards.
Measures of success
• Engineering workstreams are delivered to agreed scope, quality, cost and schedule commitments.
• Solutions achieve customer acceptance with clear evidence of technical and security compliance.
• Technical risks are visible, actively managed and escalated with credible mitigation plans.
• Engineering teams are well-led, appropriately resourced and clear on priorities.
• Cyber security requirements are embedded in design, delivery, transition and operational support.
• Hands-on technical contributions are delivered when required and align with agile SAFe team commitments, priorities and acceptance criteria.
• Technical governance is effective, proportionate and consistently applied.
Security Clearance/Travel
• Ability to gain and hold DV Clearence and pass other checks is essential. Only sole UK nationals need apply.
• Work will predominantly be conducted on the customer’s primary site. 4-5 days per week.
• Infrequent travel to other customer locations around the UK.
• Infrequent travel to the Leidos site at Farnborough.
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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