Chief Engineer (Merlin Future)

Engineering Havant

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Lockheed Martin team in Havant, Hampshire as a Chief Engineer for a major Merlin Mk2 capability sustainment and enhancement programme.

Merlin Mk2 is embarking on an Out Of Service Date Extension Programme (OSDEP) to extend the out of service date (OSD) of the whole system, which will require significant modernisation to the aircraft mission system and avionics, training and support systems. Alongside this there are a number of capability enhancements planned for the system to provide improved interoperability, lethality and support a path to the Royal Navy’s Future Maritime Aviation Force concept. Building on our thirty year leadership of Merlin Mk1/Mk2, Lockheed Martin will be leading the Merlin Mk2 activity in close conjunction with our Royal Navy and Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) customers, and Leonardo Helicopters who will be leading on the closely-aligned programme to extend the OSD of the Merlin Mk4 as well as support us on Mk2. OSDEP is in Concept Phase and due to begin Assessment Phase in 2024, with Demonstration and Manufacture taking place in the latter half of the decade.

For more information on Merlin click here

This role is for the overall technical lead for this opportunity. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate their vision for the programme, including:

• Forming and evolving Engineering teams
• Defining and managing of established requirements and emergent goals
• Leading System design options, including rapid and efficient trade studies to optimise the solution against requirements, candidate product/technology maturity, cost and schedule
• Defining software architecture and delivery strategies, including convergence with UK reference architectures such as Pyramid
• Defining the Integration and Test strategy including identification of facilities, processes and innovations
• Ensuring that through the programme the total, in-the-water, weapon system installed performance and lethality is optimised, including operational analysis and tactical development
• Engaging with existing and new candidate suppliers for sustainment, upgrade and replacement of existing systems and acquisition of new systems
• Forming close and effective partnership with customers and key industrial partners
• Formulating and delivering strategies for airworthiness, safety, security, design assurance and certification, within LM’s role as Merlin Mk2 Coordinating Design Organisation
• Responsible for whole Merlin Weapon System coherence including training solutions, deployed and in-house support products, design/development/integration/test facilities and operational support facilities
• Ensuring effective cross-functional business delivery including whole-programme digital transformation in accordance with Lockheed Martin’s 1LMX strategy
• Supporting the customer to deliver and optimise the full set of Defence Lines of Development
• Ensuring alignment of internal and third party strategies, technologies, products and investment opportunities
• Ensuring coherence with wider customer programmes and initiatives along with additional company opportunities, including externally-driven Merlin developments, adjacent platform and mission programmes, and migration to the Future Maritime Aviation Force concept.

You will be primarily based in our Havant offices with regular travel to our partner/customer sites in Yeovil and Bristol, and occasional travel to the Merlin Main Operating Base at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall.

The successful candidate will have an extensive background in defence aerospace, with leadership experience in a prime contracting and mission systems environment.

Required skills, qualifications and experience

Required skills, qualifications and experience

• Significant Senior technical leadership experience on major aerospace/defence programmes
• Comprehensive understanding of engineering processes and practices and tools, particularly in a digital development environment
• Ability to establish and inspire an engineering team and provide direction to subsidiary leads to achieve technical objectives and solutions. Including the ability to manage tasks and priorities to ensure that assigned workload is delivered when required
• Demonstrated understanding of capability definition and design analysis to support the initial synthesis of candidate solutions and convergence to a single solution within programme schedule and cost targets
• Understanding of UK military air systems certification processes or equivalent
• Demonstrated history of technical management of subcontract third party suppliers
• Strong communication skills, and the ability to communicate complex issues with a wide range of audiences in a clear and concise manner

Desired skills, qualifications and experience

• Experience as a Chief Engineer
• Experience on a major military air ISTAR platform
• Degree in engineering or other technical subject
• Experience of Merlin Mk2 or other rotorcraft

Job Reference Number

13187BR

Employee Type

Full Time

Hours Per Week

37.5

Working Schedule

4xFlex

Country

United Kingdom (UK)

Clearance Required for Role

SC

Graduate, Intern or Apprentice Vacancy?

No

What we offer you

At Lockheed Martin our employees come first and therefore your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us. On top of working in a highly supportive, friendly, respectful environment you can expect so much more.
We are an employer in support of and offering Flexible working with the option to also work a 4 day week depending on business requirements, where you have the option of Fridays off. We offer Competitive salaries alongside a flexible holiday entitlement.
We have a Wealth of benefits available to you that can be selected through our wellbeing tool upon commencement of employment. Just a few of our amazing benefits are shown below:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Competitive Pension
• Dental
• Critical Illness
• Life Assurance
• Travel Insurance
• Employee discounts for top high street shops
• Employee Assistance Program which includes free face to face counselling sessions, Legal advice, Financial advice, etc
• Internal training and development alongside out Education assistance programmes
• Reimbursement for a professional membership
• Competitive policies that support flexibility and family leave inclusive of enhanced maternity leave

Business Environment

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) provides systems engineering, software development, training solutions and complex program management for global security, civil and commercial markets. Simply stated, our mission is to be the world’s leading global security and aerospace company. To achieve this mission, RMS draws on its core capabilities in advanced platforms and weapons, C4ISR, global sustainment, training and sensors.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Lockheed Martin recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. Discrimination on any of these grounds is expressly forbidden. We therefore welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Job Expires

02/05/2024