Systems Engineer (across multiple experience levels)

 QinetiQ comprises teams of dedicated people; experts in defence, aerospace, security and related markets. We draw on our extensive technical knowledge and intellectual property to provide the know-how and support to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.  Our people make the critical difference to customers by providing unique approaches to problem solving.  Why don’t you join some of the world’s finest scientific and technical minds and help us make tomorrow work today?

Job description/Person specification SYSTEMS ENGINEER (GG10 Associate – GG14 Senior Principal)

QinetiQ is a key member of the Aurora Engineering Partnership.  This Partnership has been appointed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) as the Engineering Delivery Partner (EDP) for Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Engineering Services.  

Our mission is to provide leadership across the engineering enterprise, to drive increased performance and productivity across the full scale of engineering services, by focusing on outcomes for those on the front line.  In order to achieve this, we are recruiting Systems Engineers across a wide range of levels of experience, competencies and domains.

QinetiQ's Systems Engineers are renowned for providing high quality, independent technical advice to a wide range of customers, in support of their major acquisition programmes, as well as for developing our own range of world-leading products.  We are looking for people to join our growing team of Systems Engineers who are interested in applying and developing their technical expertise to help meet the needs of our Frontline Commands.

Opportunities to work in the following Domains and Activities:
• Warship & Aviation Support, including Type 45 and QEC
• Cyber Security and Commercial IT
• Complex Weapons
• Fixed Wing, including Project Engineering, Aircraft Certification, working with MAA/RA’s, MARCOA Governance
• Rotary Wing, including Chinook
• IFF Mode 5 capability
• UAS, including Protector
• Systems of Systems
• MOD Acquisition, Procurement and Quality Assurance/Supply Chain Management
• Through Life Engineering/Integrated Logistic Support
• Requirements Engineering and Management, using DOORS
• Acceptance, including Trials Planning
Job description/Person specification:
Key accountabilities (the balance between these will be project-dependent):
• Working flexibly, either as part of a team, singly or as a team leader, on projects and tasks to transform and improve how DE&S commission, procure and deliver engineering services.
• Technically driving the planning and management of acquisition, research or product development activity.
• Identifying, engaging and managing diverse stakeholder communities.
• Providing Systems Engineering advice to all sizes of project.
• Undertaking technical decision making as an SME.
• Collaborating with other members of project teams in support of project goals
• Planning verification and validation activities to ensure that evidence can be gathered in a cost-effective way to support solution acceptance.
• Anticipating, identifying and addressing potential issues such as delivery problems, lack of input information etc.
• Mentoring colleagues
• Information management
• Identifying and developing customer support opportunities

Particular skills/experience required:

A mix of some or all of:
• Understanding and applying the Systems Engineering approach across the lifecycle (‘strength in breadth’)
• Application of appropriate lifecycles to projects
• Model Based Systems Engineering.
• Architectural Framework (e.g. MODAF, TOGAF) experience.
• Flexibility to travel as required to support project activities (main focus being Bristol).
• Identifying and responding to customer needs
• Developing Architectures
• Through-life Engineering and Management
• Business analysis and consultancy
• Flexibility of approach, ability to innovate
• Planning for trials, test and/or acceptance
• Developing outputs for customers (reports, products, services)
• Potentially working on several tasks simultaneously
• Creating and managing own work and task delivery schedules
• Managing change
Essential Personal Qualities and Behavioural Requirements:
• Able to technically work in, or potentially to lead groups of scientists and engineers in a collaborative and collegiate way, enabling a high-performing culture.
• Has analytical and logical thinking skills.
• Able to work and produce consistent results with minimal supervision.
• Good questioning, listening, influencing and general interpersonal skills.
• Well-developed oral, written communication and   presentation skills.
• Can adapt and work flexibly.
• Content to lead some tasks and be a team member on others.

Challenges:
• Applying the emotional intelligence necessary to work successfully with diverse stakeholder groups.
• Identifying and delivering solutions to customers’ real, unstated needs as well as those directly expressed.
• Moving at times from high uncertainty towards a clear problem definition.
• Differentiating problem definition from solution design.
• Rapidly assimilating information and gaining a good understanding of the problems and issues associated with new tasks.
• Thriving in a varied, complex, and frequently changing work environment, often with demanding timescales.

Experience and qualification:
• Degree or equivalent in a relevant engineering or technical discipline, or proven experience working in an equivalent engineering role.
• Professional qualification, or working towards one