Lead Systems Engineer – Requirements & Acceptance

About the role

The Lead Systems Engineer will be a pivotal member of a major UK defence IT delivery programme, responsible for end‑to‑end requirements management and formal acceptance. Working directly with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and assurance bodies, you will ensure that contractual, functional and non‑functional requirements are fully met, documented and auditable.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the complete requirements lifecycle – capture, baseline, verification and acceptance.
• Maintain robust Requirements Traceability Matrices linking requirements to design, implementation and test evidence.
• Manage change control for requirements in line with programme governance.
• Define, agree and execute the acceptance strategy and plan with MOD stakeholders.
• Coordinate acceptance activities, produce evidence and support formal acceptance events and assurance boards.
• Act as the primary technical interface with MOD representatives, leading reviews and workshops.
• Provide technical leadership across all systems‑engineering activities, ensuring alignment with recognised standards (e.g., ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288).
• Mentor engineers on best practices for requirements and acceptance.
• Produce high‑quality documentation that meets MOD and programme governance standards.

Required profile

• Senior‑level systems engineering experience in high‑assurance, regulated environments.
• Proven ability to engage directly with MOD stakeholders and assurance bodies.
• Strong understanding of defence standards and formal acceptance processes.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills for technical discussions and documentation.

Required skills

• Requirements management and traceability.
• Acceptance planning and evidence collation.
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 (or equivalent) systems‑engineering standards.
• High‑level security clearance – Developed Vetting (DV).