Senior Mission Systems Engineer

Job Title: Mission Systems Engineer

Location: Warton – onsite

We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: £51,772+ depending on experience

Job Description:

We are looking for a Vehicle Management Systems Engineer to join the Systems Delivery Team within FalconWorks, contributing to the next generation of Mission and Vehicle Management Systems for a diverse portfolio of platforms. In this role, you will work as part of a highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary engineering team to develop, integrate, test, and deliver novel Mission Systems concepts for crewed and uncrewed applications. You will help define architectures, refine platform concepts of operations into system requirements, and integrate Vehicle Management Systems with onboard and ground systems. The role involves managing a small team of engineers, coordinating virtual stakeholders, liaising with suppliers, and ensuring tasks are delivered to time, cost, and quality targets. Frequent collaboration with internal specialists, including AI & Autonomy, Human Factors, Software, Modelling & Simulation, and Test & Evaluation, as well as external partners, is a key part of the role. This is a highly innovative position, requiring self-motivation, planning and coordination skills, and the ability to operate beyond the current state-of-the-art to establish routes from low Technology Readiness Level concepts to assured delivery of coherent Vehicle Management System capabilities.

Core duties:

• Develop and deliver Vehicle Management System (VMS) architectures and designs, integrating low Technology Readiness Level concepts into coherent, flight-ready capabilities.
• Work collaboratively within a small engineering team and lead a wider virtual stakeholder group to expand the VMS engineering capability across FalconWorks®.
• Ensure all tasks are delivered to time, cost, and quality requirements, adhering to Systems Delivery monitoring and engineering governance processes.
• Refine platform concepts of operations into VMS requirements, interface strategies, and control system designs, including integration with onboard systems and ground control.
• Manage internal and external suppliers, providing technical oversight during procurement, contract management, and system testing activities, including test rigs and flight trials.
• Support system safety, qualification, and assurance activities, including Fault Tree Analysis, clearance documentation, and oversight of compliance with engineering standards.

Essential Skills:

• Experience with safety-critical airborne control systems, including flight control and vehicle sub-system control, and the ability to build, set-to-work, and fault-find within these systems.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles across the full lifecycle, including requirements development, management, and integration with platform systems.
• Knowledge of interfacing and control techniques in both digital and analogue domains, with an appreciation of physical, functional, and performance challenges of airborne systems.
• Experience analysing test data, developing test plans, and supporting system qualification to ensure compliance and performance.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work autonomously, build relationships, provide guidance, and deliver innovative, methodical solutions.

The FalconWorks Systems Delivery Team:

You’ll be joining the FalconWorks Systems Delivery Team, a dynamic, multi-disciplinary engineering group focused on shaping and delivering the next generation of Mission and Vehicle Management Systems. Working in a highly collaborative environment, the team brings together experienced Mission Systems and Vehicle Management Systems engineers to develop innovative capabilities across a diverse portfolio of platforms. This role offers exposure to cutting-edge technologies in a non-traditional development environment and provides opportunities for long-term career growth, including progression into specialist technical roles or higher-level technology leadership positions such as Licensed Technologist and Lead Technologist.

Why BAE Systems?

Here you’ll build a career with purpose and limitless possibilities. With lifelong learning and meaningful work, this is a place where you can grow your career with confidence and be empowered to be your best. You’ll be recognised for your contribution and enjoy rewards tailored to what’s most important to you and your family, support for your financial and personal wellbeing, as well as a balanced lifestyle. In an environment embracing sustainable ways of working and with a strong sense of shared purpose, our supportive culture is a place you can feel you belong and proud of the difference you make.

A place where everyone can thrive:

We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We know that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences strengthens our teams and is vital to the work we do.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 13th April 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

#LI-VB1

#LI-Hybrid