Lead Systems Engineer/Team Lead

Job Title\: Lead System Engineer / Team Lead

Location\: Rochester; Kent (On-site)

Referral Bonus\: £2,000

Grade\: 9 - GG11

You’re expected to have completed 12 months in role prior to applying for an advertised vacancy and you should also discuss the internal opportunity with your line manager to ensure sustained business continuity and to further support your career development.

We know there may be exceptional individual circumstances that impact this, in the first instance please discuss this with your line manager.

If you don’t feel you can talk to your line manager, you can contact your HRBP.

PLEASE NOTE\: Should you be invited for interview; you acknowledge that the Recruitment team will contact you and your line manager regarding your application for this opportunity.

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.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people, who are BAE Systems employees and have been in their current role for 12 months or longer.

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\: 8th Septemner 2026