Senior Autonomous Systems Consultant (Defence & Space)

TL;DR

Senior Autonomous Systems Consultant (Defence & Space): Lead and execute complex engineering tasks and feasibility studies focused on Unmanned and Autonomous Systems across Land, Maritime and Air with an accent on translating MOD requirements into actionable projects ensuring viability, scalability, and operational effectiveness. Focus on providing technical advisory on CONUSE/CONOPS, leading studies and simulations, managing stakeholders, and planning usability testing for intuitive mission-ready platforms.

Location: Bristol or Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom. Candidates must be eligible for or hold UK Security Clearance (SC/DV).

Company

Engineering consultancy firm specializing in Defence & Space innovation and strategic delivery.

What you will do

• Serve as SME for autonomous systems, advising on Concepts of Use (CONUSE), Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and AI/autonomy integration in multi-domain environments.
• Lead technical studies, modelling, and simulation efforts to meet defence standards and project milestones.
• Act as technical conduit between customers, industry partners, and internal teams, communicating strategies to non-technical stakeholders.
• Manage expectations, set realistic targets, and provide knowledge sharing and usability testing planning for autonomous platforms.

Requirements

• Deep technical knowledge of Unmanned Systems across Air, Surface, and Underwater domains.
• Proven experience in MOD, defence supply chain, or as ex-military with understanding of MOD ways of working. Must be eligible for or hold UK Security Clearance (SC/DV).
• Familiarity with full engineering lifecycle from concepts and prototyping to testing, integration, and evaluation.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills for influencing high-level stakeholders.
• Strong prioritization and self-management in high-pressure, deadline-driven environments.
• Bachelor’s (BEng/BSc) or Master’s (MEng/MSc) in relevant STEM discipline (Systems Engineering, Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, or Physics preferred) or equivalent experience.

Nice to have

• Experience in resilient communications techniques/systems for defence environments.
• Familiarity with IP data networks.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive base salary, matching pension (up to 5%), discretionary bonus, 4x salary Death in Service coverage, employee referral, Tech Scheme.
• Private medical insurance, optical/dental cashback, Help@Hand app (remote GP, mental health, physiotherapy), EAP, Cycle to work.
• 28 days annual leave + bank holidays + birthday off, 10 paid learning days, flexible hours, work from anywhere up to 3 weeks/year, training/certifications, recognition platform, career progression, events, length of service awards.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion for all backgrounds.