Principal or Senior Systems Engineer

Navantia UK is a new force in British industry, supporting the UK’s defence, energy and maritime ambitions. We’re doing this by creating state-of-the-art sovereign defence capabilities, investing in the UK to modernise industrial facilities, and bolstering the nation's energy security. Established in 2022, Navantia UK is a subsidiary of Navantia SA, a Spanish state-owned company with over 300 years of naval shipbuilding history. In January 2025, Navantia UK completed the acquisition of Harland & Wolff and its four historic facilities in Belfast, Appledore, Methil, and Arnish. By combining Harland & Wolff’s proud heritage and facilities with Navantia’s global expertise, Navantia UK is well-positioned to strengthen Britain’s defence, maritime and energy industrial capabilities, supporting jobs and economic growth across the UK.

Principal or Senior Systems Engineer – Advanced Naval Platforms

Help shape next‑generation ship designs. You’ll lead systems engineering across requirements, architecture, configuration and V&V—turning complex stakeholder needs into clear, traceable engineering evidence from concept through acceptance.

What you’ll do

• Own end‑to‑end requirements capture and management—validated, traceable and maintained through the lifecycle.
• Set the systems engineering approach (SEMP), governance and lifecycle strategy for complex naval programmes.
• Define and lead the Verification & Validation strategy, methods and acceptance criteria.
• Lead development and control of system/subsystem specifications and interface definitions.
• Create and govern architecture modelling (use cases, functional/logical/physical architectures, behaviour and data flows).
• Strengthen configuration and traceability in the PLM environment (Siemens Teamcentre) across requirements, architectures and V&V artefacts.

What you’ll bring

• Strong, hands-on systems engineering experience in naval/marine (or similarly regulated, safety/assurance-led environments).
• Confidence owning architecture, requirements, interfaces, configuration control and change management.
• MBSE experience (and a pragmatic approach to modelling for decision support).
• Comfort working across disciplines and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Degree in Systems/Electrical/Control Engineering (or related). Master’s and/or INCOSE CSEP/ESEP (or equivalent) is a plus.
• Exposure to digital technologies (automation, autonomy, digital twins, AI, predictive diagnostics, smart maintenance) is welcome.
• Ability to complete BPSS security checks; eligibility for SC clearance may be required depending on project.

Working pattern Standard office environment in Bristol, with occasional travel/overnight stays depending on programme needs.

Everyone’s welcome. If you’re excited by the role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.

Interested? Apply via LinkedIn or message us to talk through the opportunity.

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What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Hybrid working, typically three days per week in the office
• Career development opportunities within a global organisation

***Please note as part of the onboarding process all candidates will need to complete BPSS security clearance***

We are an Opening Doors employer, committed to equal opportunity and an inclusive workplace. Our approach, shaped by our values of service, trust, excellence, agility, dedication, and you, we focus on removing barriers and recognising potential. We are committed to fairness at every stage, including providing reasonable adjustments and actively working to eliminate discrimination.

We believe talent is everywhere, and by widening access to opportunity and welcoming diverse experiences, we aim to create a workplace where every person feels valued and has an equal chance.

If you experience difficulties or are unable to apply for a role on-line please contact us at people.skills@harland-wolff.com and one of the team will be in contact to help you.