Job description for Senior Systems Engineer – Sensors and Electronics

Are you ready to contribute to cutting edge programmes and technologies that will help to shape the future of the Armed Forces capabilities? We have opportunities for experienced Senior Systems engineers – Sensors and Electronics to play a vital role in strengthening our national defence.

In these influential roles, you may work across a variety of domains—Maritime, Land, and Air—supporting the development and delivery of advanced technologies such as Electronic Warfare, Avionics, Situational Awareness, and Command and Control systems. Your work may span the full engineering life cycle, from concept development and requirements management through to integration, validation, in-service support, and eventual disposal.

You’ll collaborate closely with key stakeholders, including our military customers—the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force—as well as industry partners. Your technical expertise will be essential in providing guidance, assurance, and innovation across a range of high-impact projects.

Due to the nature of the roles, some of these posts may require a more enhance level of security clearance – Developed Vetting (DV). You’ll join us once Security Check (SC) clearance is obtained, and then the DV checks will continue after you’ve started your employment.

We champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required (this is expected to be approximately 40%, 2 days of your working week) to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance and business need. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

 What you’ll be doing 

• Requirements – owning the generation of requirements, defining technical deliverables/artifacts, and updating documentation for systems, including the considerations to in-service support and associated costs.

• Technical Discipline – Provide technical leadership and expert guidance to clients and other stakeholders to enhance the capability and effectiveness of the deliverable. Ensure that the proposed solutions are properly understood and appropriately exploited.

• Legislation and Policy – working in a highly regulated area, educate others with relevant legislation, regulation, policy, processes, and standards to deliver technical documentation for a system. This includes the essential relation to quality, safety, security, and sustainability, of the system, and the interoperability with other sub-systems.

• Risk – Identifying and analysing technical hazards and their project impacts and contributing to the identification and evaluation of risk reduction measures, ensuring that these are adequately documented and managed.

• Managing Stakeholders – collaborating and managing trade-offs with other sub-system teams and specialists, over requirements and design compromises, to maximise successful system implementation and delivery.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you’ll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Hold a relevant Level 4 qualification (HNC or higher) in a STEM subject.
• Membership of a relevant Professional Engineering / Science Institute or equivalent body and be an Incorporated Engineer or equivalent.
• Breadth and depth of experience of providing technical advice in a sensors and electronics systems environment such as but not limited to:

• Electro-optics & RF sensors
• Sonar, Radar, and Lidar Systems
• Targeting and Fire Control
• Avionic Systems
• Control and Instrumentation Systems

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Core Behaviour 1: Making Effective Decisions – CSBC3
• Core Behaviour 2: Delivering at Pace – CSBC3

• Technical Competence 1: Suitable Systems and Systems Thinking. ECF 01 1.2 Engineering Management Planning – Practitioner level
• Technical Competence 2: Supportable Technical Outcomes. ECF 03 3.3 Technical Issues and Risk – Practitioner level

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,200, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,094 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded qualifications
• Support for progression
• Huge range of discounts
• Volunteering days
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So, whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver for the defence of tomorrow. Here you’ll find a supportive, family-friendly organisation to be a part of – and if you need any assistance with your application, just let us know.

Further Information

• Civil Service Recruitment Principles: Recruitment Principles – Civil Service Commission
• Candidate Information Pack: https://bit.ly/DES-Candidate-Information-Pack
• Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-Terms-and-Conditions
• Civil Service Code: The Code – Civil Service Commission

Any personal data that you provide during the Recruitment process will be treated in accordance with the MOD Privacy Notice which can be accessed here. 

Disability Confident:

Please note as a Disability Confident Leader we want to ensure you receive any reasonable adjustments that you need throughout the recruitment process. If you do require any reasonable adjustments, you can let us know on your online application under the section ‘Please indicate and give details of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the recruitment process.

Conflicts of Interest:

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift – We will check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift – Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills. Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.
3. Interview – If you’re invited to interview, you’ll be assessed against the Sift categories (CV Review) listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. 

Please Note: In the event of a tied score at interview, the Order of Merit will be distinguished based on the relative importance of the assessed competencies as per the hierarchy below:

• 1st: Core Behaviour 1
• 2nd: Core Behaviour 2
• 3rd: Technical Competencies
• 4th: CV Review

In the event of a further tie using the method above, we reserve the right to utilise an additional assessment.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact department via email: DESHR-WSC-PMOCOMPLAINTS@mod.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Complaints – Civil Service Commission

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.