UK - Head of Engineering – Autonomous Systems

Job Title: Head of Engineering 

Location: Bristol

Type: Full time - permanent

Security Clearance requirement: Applicants must be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance (SC)

The Role 

We are looking for an experienced Head of Engineering to lead the engineering function developing advanced autonomous UAV systems.

This is a senior leadership role combining technical leadership, engineering delivery, organisational development and people management. You will lead a cross-functional team spanning systems, software, electronics, mechanical, autonomy/GNC, modelling and test, with responsibility for ensuring that engineering delivers robust, high-performance products at pace.

The successful candidate will have a strong engineering background and sufficient technical depth to challenge engineering decisions, guide technical direction and provide credible leadership to experienced engineers. Equally important will be the ability to build and scale an effective engineering organisation, establish proportionate engineering processes and ensure teams remain focused on delivering against programme and business objectives.

This is an opportunity to shape the engineering capability of a fast-growing technology business developing autonomous systems for demanding defence and aerospace applications.

Responsibilities

• ​Lead the multi-disciplinary engineering function across systems, software, electronics, mechanical, autonomy/GNC, modelling, integration and test.

• Take overall responsibility for engineering delivery, ensuring technical activities are aligned with product, programme and business priorities.

• ​Define and continuously develop the engineering organisation, including team structure, technical leadership, recruitment and capability development.

• ​Provide technical leadership across the product lifecycle, from concept and architecture through detailed development, integration, verification, flight testing and productionisation.

• ​Work with technical leads to establish clear technical direction, engineering plans and priorities.

• ​Ensure effective management of dependencies and interfaces between engineering disciplines.

• ​Establish proportionate engineering governance, design reviews and technical decision-making processes appropriate to a fast-moving scale-up.

• Maintain oversight of system architectures, requirements, interfaces, verification strategies and key technical decisions.

• Balance performance, schedule, cost, technical risk, manufacturability and future scalability when making engineering decisions.

• ​Identify significant engineering risks and ensure appropriate mitigation and technical closure.

• Work closely with Product, Programme, Operations, Manufacturing and Supply Chain to ensure successful product delivery.

• Drive the transition of products from prototype and development into repeatable, supportable and manufacturable systems.

• ​Build a strong engineering culture focused on technical excellence, ownership, pace and pragmatic problem-solving.

• ​Recruit, coach and develop engineers and engineering leaders, creating clear accountability and opportunities for progression.

• Support senior customer, partner and supplier engagements, acting as a credible technical representative of the business.

• Contribute to product and technology strategy, identifying future capability needs, technology opportunities and engineering investment priorities.

Experience & Background 

We are looking for someone with:

• ​A degree or equivalent experience in Systems, Aerospace, Electronic, Mechanical,

• Software Engineering, Robotics, Physics or a related technical discipline.

• ​Significant engineering experience within complex multidisciplinary product development.

• ​Demonstrable experience leading cross-functional engineering teams or engineering functions.

• ​Strong technical credibility and the ability to operate effectively with senior engineers and technical specialists.

• ​Experience developing autonomous systems, UAVs, UxVs, robotics or other intelligent electromechanical products.

• ​Experience within defence, aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems or another

• safety/mission-critical environment.

• ​Experience delivering products combining hardware, software, sensors, communications and control systems.

• ​Strong understanding of systems engineering principles including requirements, architecture, interfaces, integration and verification.

• ​Experience taking products through physical integration, test and evaluation rather than purely software or desk-based development.

• ​Strong engineering delivery experience, including planning, prioritisation, resource allocation, technical risk and programme execution.

• Experience working within a start-up, scale-up or rapidly growing technology organisation, where priorities evolve quickly and leaders are expected to operate with significant autonomy.

• ​Experience building teams, developing engineering capability and improving engineering ways of working.

• Strong communication, leadership and stakeholder-management skills.

Particularly Relevant Experience 

Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous but not essential:

• ​UAV (or UxV) development and testing.

• ​Autonomous navigation, guidance and control.

• ​Robotics and autonomous platforms.

• ​GNC, flight-control systems or autopilots.

• ​Sensors, sensor fusion, computer vision or AI/ML-enabled systems.

• ​RF communications, datalinks or GNSS/GNSS-denied navigation.

• Embedded electronics and software.

• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).

• ​Hardware-in-the-loop or software-in-the-loop simulation.

• Defence product development, qualification or certification.

• ​Transitioning products from prototype through NPI and low-rate production.

• ​Scaling engineering organisations through periods of rapid growth.

• ​Establishing engineering processes and governance within an early-stage or scale-up environment.

Personal Attributes 

The successful candidate will be:

• A hands-on engineering leader who remains close to the technology and the engineering team.

• Comfortable operating with incomplete information and making pragmatic, well-reasoned decisions.

• Able to move confidently between detailed technical issues and wider programme, product and business considerations.

• Highly collaborative and capable of bringing different engineering disciplines together around a common objective.

• ​Delivery-focused without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy or compromising appropriate engineering rigour.

• ​Comfortable challenging assumptions, making difficult decisions and resolving complex technical or organisational issues.

• ​Able to create clarity and structure within a rapidly evolving environment.

• Able to motivate and lead teams.

• ​Proactive, adaptable and effective in a fast-paced scale-up.

• ​Adaptable & Resilient: Stays calm and focused under pressure, adapting their approach as challenges arise.

• ​Motivated by building both high-performance products and a high-performance engineering organisation.

• Security and Eligibility Requirement

• Due to the nature of the work with the UK MOD, applicants must be a British Citizen (or Dual UK national with British citizenship) and eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC).

General Information 

We believe in the value of working together in person and expect team members to be office-based for the majority of the working week. At the same time, we take a flexible pragmatic approach to working patterns, including start and finish times and remote working, to support a healthy work-life balance while meeting the needs of the team and project. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team where everyone is treated with respect and has the opportunity to contribute and succeed. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are focused on creating a working environment where different perspectives, experiences and ideas are valued