Senior Systems Engineer

Job summary

Are you passionate about solving complex engineering challenges and shaping the future of cyber and defence capabilities?

Dstl is looking for a Senior Systems Engineer to join a multidisciplinary team responsible for transforming cutting-edge research into operational capabilities that support national security and defence objectives. This is an exciting opportunity to work on complex, high-impact programmes, helping to define, design and assure systems that integrate people, process and technology into coherent, effective solutions.

Why join us?

As a Senior Systems Engineer, you will play a key role in translating complex stakeholder and customer needs into system architectures, requirements and technical solutions. You will work across a diverse range of projects, providing technical leadership, supporting strategic decision-making and ensuring that solutions are safe, secure, robust and fit for purpose.

Working alongside scientists, engineers, project managers and external partners, you will apply systems engineering principles to complex cyber and technology challenges. You will help develop architectural models, influence engineering standards and enable effective integration across capabilities, ensuring solutions meet both current operational needs and future requirements.

This role offers the opportunity to apply your systems thinking and engineering expertise in a unique environment where innovation, collaboration and technical excellence are critical to delivering capability that makes a real-world difference.

This role is eligible for an additional specialist allowance of £2758 annually subject to meeting extended onboarding requirements. The role may be eligible for additional skills allowances depending on the skills and experience of the applicant.

Job description

What you'll do;

• Translate complex customer and stakeholder needs into clear system architectures, requirements and engineering solutions.
• Apply systems engineering and systems thinking approaches to solve challenging technical and operational problems.
• Provide technical leadership on complex projects, ensuring solutions align with customer, business, safety and security requirements.
• Develop and maintain architectural models that support informed decision-making, integration and capability development.
• Support the development, assurance and delivery of cyber and defence capabilities across the system lifecycle.
• Promote the use of engineering standards, frameworks and open-system approaches to improve interoperability and consistency.
• Analyse complex technical information and communicate findings through high-quality documentation, reports and presentations.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes across multiple priorities.

For more information on the job responsibilities, please see the job profile attached below.

Person specification

What we're looking for

• A degree in a STEM discipline such as Systems Engineering, Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or Mathematics, or equivalent professional experience.
• An understanding of Systems Engineering and/or Systems Thinking methodologies and their practical application.
• Knowledge of the development and assurance of complex technical systems or capabilities.
• An awareness of software engineering and how software integrates with hardware, embedded systems and wider system architectures.
• Experience solving complex, non-routine technical problems and making evidence-based engineering assessments.
• Experience applying systems engineering techniques within an engineering, technology or scientific environment.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and stakeholder engagement skills.
• The ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to a range of audiences.

Please review the attached job description for more detailed information.

Important Information:

Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats.

For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.

This role will require Develop Vetting and you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,431, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £12,002 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Benefits

Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:

• Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.
• Allowances: This role is eligible for an additional specialist allowance of £2758 annually subject to meeting extended onboarding requirements. The role may be eligible for additional skills allowances depending on the skills and experience of the applicant.
• Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours (e.g. working a 4 day week/ 9 day fortnight), job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).
• Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.

• Where you work: Depending on your role, blended working may be available including remote working to suit you and your team. This can be discussed at interview.
• Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.
• Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid
• Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.
• Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.

Sifting will take place week commencing the 16th of November with interviews taking place from the 23rd of November.

Your interview will consist of behavioural and technical competency-based questions. You will also be required to deliver a 10-minute presentation. Further details for the presentation will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Cyber Recruitment Team
• Email : cyberrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Further information

Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process you should email dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk stating the nature of the issue. We will respond within 5 working days.

Attachments

Senior Systems Engineer L5 Opens in new window (pdf, 200kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 4978kB)